Zelda Heroes: Origins: Ocarina of Time
by Negetive2digit
Summary: A boy named Link must save Hyrule from the dark forces that threaten it. Along the way, he will meet those that will walk the road to legend with him and an epic adventure will follow. Ranch liberated!
1. Chapter 1

**It seems that there's a lot of these on here already, but I thought, after making Zelda Heroes and whatnot, that I should try to show some of the origins of that group of heroes and some of their backstory. This isn't really in the timeline of Zelda Heroes or it's prequel/sequels, but some of the same characters will get involved.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Deku Tree's Bidding<strong>

_In the vast, deep forest of Hyrule…Long have I served as the guardian spirit…I am known as the Deku Tree…_

A young boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a green tunic, rolled over in his bed, groaning in discomfort and apprehension.

_The children of the forest, the Kokiri, live here with me. Each Kokiri has his or her own guardian fairy. However, there is one boy who does not have a fairy…_

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><p>The boy rolled over again, onto his back, a grimace on his features at the nightmare that was assaulting him.<p>

_**He was standing in front of a vast structure of stone, separated from him by a moat and the sheer unassailable walls. The only way in would have been the massive door of wood on the other side of the water. A fork of lightning lit up the night sky as the drawbridge began to lower slowly, with much clinking of chains, as the rain began to fall from the darkened sky. He could hear rapid hoof beats clattering on the street within and, within a few seconds, he saw a white horse racing towards him at breakneck speed. Fearing for his life, he cast himself out of the way as the horse raced by, managing to get a glimpse of the riders. Upon the white horse was a young girl and an older woman. The girl looked back fearfully at him, but the woman shouted a reprimand and pushed the girl back in front of her before spurring the horse away into the darkness. Link watched them go, wondering who they were and what or whom they were fleeing, when he heard a second set of hoofs coming. He spun and saw a man with skin so tanned that it looked almost greenish brown and a head of red hair; a jewel adorned his forehead and he rode a black horse that looked as foreboding as him. Struck with fear, Link almost screamed as the man looked at him with a sneer and raised his hand…**_

"No!" he sat up in his bed, heart racing. After a few minutes, he looked around his tree house and concluded that he was safe and that it had only been a dream. Dropping to the pillow, he fell back into an uneasy sleep.

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><p>"Navi…Navi, where art thou? Come hither…" an echoing voice of an old man, wizened with age, echoed from a massive tree; a tree that looked as though it had the face of an old man, as well, with bushy eyebrows that obscured his eyes and a small mustache. Promptly, a small woman with insect-like wings, clad in a skirt and blouse of leaves and flower petals and a white aura, zoomed over and stopped in front of where the tree's nose would have been, had it had one.<p>

"Yes, Great Deku Tree?" she said with some excitement. It wasn't often that she got to run an errand.

"Oh, Navi the Fairy…Listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree," the tree enunciated. "Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil descending upon this realm…malevolent forces, even now, are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule…" It was as she feared, for she too had noticed the change in the familiar music of the forest. "For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world…but…before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing," Navi gasped. "It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey…the youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth. Navi, go now!" His voice nearly blasted the fairy out of the air, but she quickly righted herself. "Find our young friend and guide him to me…I do not have much time left,"

"Great Deku Tree…" Navi began to address her worry for him, but he interrupted.

"Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" the fairy rocketed away, zooming out of the grove and along the grassy path that led from it to the nearby village. A pouting, mean-looking Kokiri boy stood at the end of the path, but she zoomed under his legs.

"Watch it, fairy!" he called after her. Navi ignored him and started her search for a boy with no fairy. She headed over to a girl who was sitting on an awning over the door of a wooden building, which was shaped like a tall stump, like all of the buildings in the village.

"Hello!" Navi greeted.

"Hi!" the girl and her fairy called back. Navi continued her trip through the hamlet, flying past a boy who was struggling to lift a rock.

'Nope, he has a fairy,' she thought, continuing past another girl and trying to head through a gap in a fence so that she could get to the tree house she had just spotted. After a minor collision with the fence, Navi shook her head and continued through one of the small gaps, heading into the tree house.

A loud snoring met the fairy's ears as she entered the one-room abode. She easily spotted a boy in green sleeping on a bed that was made from a tree trunk fragment with a piece carved out of the side. He was clutching his pillow of stitched leaves, filled with forest bird feathers, in the crook of one arm so that the pillow was pressed to his head and his stitched leaf quilt had been kicked into a pile on the floor.

"Hello, Link! Wake up!" Navi called cheerfully from the air above him. "The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you!"

"Five more minutes…" Link grumbled, turning over and continuing to snore. Navi began to glow red and hovered down to his ear.

"Hey! C'mon!" she screamed, making him jump about a foot and a half in the air. "Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?" He landed in a heap, next to his bed, and stood up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"Ugh…what is it? I haven't been sleeping well lately," he looked at her. "A fairy? Why are you here, and what's this about Hyrule's Destiny?"

"I'm Navi the fairy!" Navi continued with a frown, her aura back to white now, though she was still a little unhappy. "The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner from now on! Nice to meet you!"

"Uh, huh…" Link nodded groggily, his eyes still not really focused. "Why wake me up for that, again?"

"Because the Great Deku Tree has summoned you!" Navi sighed with minor annoyance. "Let's get going, right now!" Link yawned.

"Can't I, at least, get some breakfast first?" he grumbled. "I'm sure the Great Deku Tree won't mind," Navi looked like she was about to retort, but relented.

"Okay, but we've really got to hurry, after that," she agreed. Link went over to the pantry before she was even done talking and got out some Deku Flour and spring water. Mixing it together, he cooked it on his small wood stove, after he got it going, and piled a few cakes on a wooden plate and sat down at his sawed off tree stump table. Navi, in spite of herself, watched with interest. She had never seen cooking before, having only lived with other fairies before.

"What are those?" she asked.

"Hotcakes," Link replied nonchalantly, pouring some Moonblossom Nectar on the cakes and cutting into them with a wooden fork. "Want some?"

"No, fairies typically just live off of nectar and Deku seeds and other things like that," Navi declined.

"Well, I have some toasted Deku seeds in the pantry over there," Link gestured to the open cabinet next to the stove. "Help yourself," He watched the fairy buzz over to the small drawstring bag of seeds and pull it open, taking out a couple of seeds. "What's wrong?" he asked as she looked them over.

"They're different," she pointed out. "They a darker color and smell odd,"

"Well, Kokiri like to toast them over a fire," Link explained. "Makes 'em taste better," Navi took a bite of one and quickly finished it.

"You're right! Why didn't someone tell me that fire made things taste good?" she started eating faster and made it through fourteen seeds before she was too full to continue.

"Don't make yourself sick, now," Link warned, now awake and amused.

"Ohh…too much…" Navi groaned, lying in the bottom of the cupboard.

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><p>After a brief ten minutes to allow Navi to recuperate enough to fly, she and Link headed out of the front doorway of his house and onto the deck that was out front.<p>

"Yahoo! Hi, Link!" a voice called from below. Link looked down and saw his best friend, Saria, running up the dirt path with a hand in the air, waving at him. She was a girl with light green hair and a green blouse and shorts, complete with green boots.

"Hey, Saria!" Link called back with a wave, going to the nearby ladder and descending to where she was waiting.

"Wow! A fairy!" she exclaimed as she watched Navi fly slowly around his head, still rather full of Deku seeds and looking a bit queasy. "Finally, a fairy came to you, Link, but she doesn't look so good…"

"Overindulged on Deku seeds," Link explained shortly.

"Oh," Saria nodded understandingly. "Well, now you're a true Kokiri. I'm so happy for you!"

"Yeah, and, what's more, the Great Deku Tree has a message for me, according to Navi," Link mentioned.

"Is that right?" Saria said with a smile. "It's quite an honor to talk to the Great Deku Tree!" She went behind him and shoved him forward a little. "I'll wait here. Go see the Great Deku Tree,"

"Okay," Link sighed and struck the dusty trail that ran through the village. Hanging a right at the fork ahead, he walked past the Twins' house and hopped across the brook that ran through the village, using the delta in the middle to keep dry.

"Hold it, Mr. No Fairy!" Mido, a pouting boy, held out his hand and looked unkindly at Link. "What's your business with the Great Deku Tree?"

"He's been summoned!" Navi shouted. "Get out of the way!"

"What? You've got a fairy _and _the Great Deku Tree has summoned you?" Mido crossed his arms and tapped his foot angrily. "This isn't funny…"

"Look, I don't have time for your jealousy today," Link sighed.

"Jealousy?" Mido repeated hotly. "I'm not jealous of somebody like you! You aren't even fully equipped yet! How do you think you're going to help the Great Deku Tree without a sword and shield ready?"

"It's not like you're ready, either, pouty," Navi pointed out scathingly. Mido looked shocked for a second, but rallied at once.

"Well, yeah, but…go get a sword and shield or I won't let you by!"

"Fine…" Link said with a forced calm, turning around and crossing the river again.

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><p>"Link!" Saria called as he came moodily back to his house. "Back so soon?"<p>

"No, Mido won't let me by, says I need a sword and shield," Link grumbled.

"That bum!" the green-haired girl replied. "I don't know why he's so mean to everyone!"

"Hear, hear!" Navi agreed.

"But…I think he has a point," Saria continued, looking sad. "The forest…strange things have been happening here lately…you need to be ready for anything,"

"Well, how do you suggest I get a sword and shield?" Link inquired.

"You can buy a shield at the shop, but there is only one sword hidden somewhere in the forest," Saria informed him. "Here," she handed him a yellow rupee. "The shield is forty rupees, if I remember correctly. You might find the money laying around the woods if you look properly, or you could run errands for the others. It always pays to help people,"

"Thanks," Link dropped the rupee in his small wallet with a cheesy grin that he was known for. "Come on, Navi, we're hunting for rupees, I guess," Navi sighed.

"Sorry, Great Deku Tree, this is gonna take a while," she muttered, following Link up the path.

"Hey!" he pointed at the top of a nearby pillar. "There's a rupee," The girl on top of the pillar giggled.

"If you want it, I'll let you have it, but you have to cross the bridges from Saria's roof," she said, pointing to the house next to Link's. Link immediately took off and began to climb the path that wound up the side of Saria's house, when a kid called out to him as he yanked on the tall grass in the yard.

"Hey, Link! That meanie, Mido, made me cut the grass at Saria's house. He told Saria that he would do it so that she would like him, but I'm the one doing all the work! Could you help, since you and Saria are close friends and all?"

"Well, I kinda need a sword to cut stuff, but, yeah, I can help after that," Link replied.

"Thanks, anyway," the dejected kid went back to pulling up grass.

Continuing up to the roof, Link strode over the bridge that linked the roof to a pillar and then across another bridge that led to the pillar with the rupee. The girl giggled.

"You came all the way up here? You're a real man!" she handed him the blue rupee that was next to her. "Isn't this view pretty?" she made a sweeping gesture.

"Yeah, it is, but I need to go see the Great Deku Tree," Link said pensively, coming out of a reverie, after taking in the scenery for a minute.

"Okay, see ya!" she waved as he backtracked to Saria's yard and headed across the shallow part of the brook and to the front of the shop.

"Hi, Link!" the girl on the awning over the shop called out.

"Hey!" he waved back. "Do you know where the sword that's hidden around here is?"

"No, but maybe the Know-It-All Brothers do," the girl suggested.

"Ok, thanks," Link replied.

"Hey, look at this sign, Link," Navi said from a nearby signpost. "It says that you'll be happier if you jump across these stones," So it did.

"What the hey," Link shrugged, hopping across the square stones that were placed in the pool that a nearby waterfall fell into. Suddenly, his wallet felt heavier as he landed on the last stone. "Huh?" he opened his wallet and saw an extra blue rupee inside. "That's nice,"

"Yeah, that's twenty, Link, only twenty more!" Navi said excitedly. "I thought I saw another one, by the way, behind this house," she gestured to the house in front of them.

"If you're looking for money," a nearby girl commented. "You can look in the tall grass around town. People drop rupees all the time without noticing,"

"Good tip," Link noted, spotting a glint of green glass in the nearby patch of grass and picking up a couple of green rupees.

"Here, Link," Navi came flying over, panting under the weight of the blue rupee that she had lugged out from behind Mido's house.

"That's twenty-seven," Link said, relieving Navi of her burden and continuing forward.

"Mean old Mido…making me pick up the rocks in front of his house," a boy muttered as he struggled to lift the rocks in Mido's yard and move them out of the way.

"That's it, I'm gonna go see if he has any money," Link headed for the Kokiri boss's doorway.

"Link, stealing is bad!" Navi reprimanded.

"Well, so is being a bully," Link shrugged, striding into the house and promptly finding a yellow rupee and three green ones glittering on his dresser in his bedroom. "And here's the rest of the money I need! On to the shop!"

"Lazy and bad…what has the Great Deku Tree assigned me to?" Navi shook her head and followed him out the door.

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><p>Link strode into the shop a couple of minutes later.<p>

"Can I help you?" the shopkeeper asked as he tried to jump up enough to see over the counter. Why it was too tall was a mystery, as everyone in town was the size of children and, accordingly, the counter should've been built with this in mind.

"I'd like a Deku Shield," Link pointed to the shield on the shelf in the back. The shopkeeper turned and knocked it down with a Deku Stick, why and how it was on such a high shelf was another mystery. Catching it, he carried to the counter and put it on top.

"Forty rupees, please," he said, holding up his hand for the money. Link passed him the rupees and the boy dropped it into the till that he kept under the counter. "Thank you, and here's a bandolier to hold it on.

"Thanks," Link strapped the shield onto his back with the piece of leather and buckled it securely across his chest. "Do you know where I can get a sword?"

"No, we don't sell them," the shopkeeper replied. "But someone might know. Try asking the Know-It-All Brothers,"

"Okay," Link turned and headed out of the shop. "Man, this is a lot of work,"

"Yeah, I just hope that the Great Deku Tree won't be mad…" Navi commented.

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><p>"The sword that's hidden around here…" the Know-It-All brother put his book down and rubbed his chin. "I think I read somewhere that it's through a hole in the wall of the village…"<p>

"Isn't there one in the back of the fence maze outside?" another brother said, sticking his head in the door. "Check there,"

"Right, thanks," Link nodded and headed outside. Navigating the 'maze' wasn't that difficult, and they soon got to the back.

"I wonder what's through that hole?" a nearby boy pointed to the small gap in the wall. "I'd crawl through myself, but…" He decided not to finish.

"The sword must be in there," Navi concluded. Link sighed.

He emerged, a minute later, in some sort of maze in the stone walls, covered in dust and pulling a cobweb off of his hat.

"Now what?" he quickly ducked back as a boulder came rolling by at a fair pace. Peeking out of the alcove, he saw that the boulder was gone, but he could still hear it, so it was bound to come back.

"This path probably loops, so we should hurry ahead of the boulder," Navi suggested. "The sword's probably in another alcove,"

"Great…" Link muttered, not relishing the thought of being smashed flat by a boulder. Stepping out into the path, he quickly proceeded forward. As he came to a bend in the path, he heard the boulder coming up on him and sped up, managing to jump sideways into another alcove that was ahead. Panting, he looked around and saw that a large chest was in this alcove. "That was lucky," he commented with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, I thought you were about to get run over," Navi sighed with relief. Walking over to the chest, the green-clad boy flipped the lid open and jumped up to the rim, nearly falling into the chest as he retrieved a sheathed dagger inside.

"This looks like the Kokiri Sword…but it's kinda small for a sword," Link noted with mild disappointment. He drew the blade and hacked at a nearby young tree, severing it in half.

"Hey! Have some respect for the trees!" Navi reprimanded, her aura turning slightly red with indignation.

"Okay, okay! Sorry!" Link held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. With a quiet grumble, the fairy decided to let it drop.

"Anyway, we have everything that pouty kid asked for, so let's get over to the Great Deku Tree!" she declared.

"Okay, assuming I don't get flattened," Link replied, watching the boulder go by again. He promptly hurried out in pursuit of it and ran back to the alcove that held the hole that they had entered from, narrowly avoiding, yet again, potentially fatal injury.

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><p>Soon enough, Link was out of the fence maze and heading back by his house.<p>

"Hey, Link!" Saria called, coming over to him. "It looks like you found the sword. Congratulations!"

"Yeah, it was tough, but I managed to outwit a boulder to get it," Link said proudly. Saria giggled at this. "Hey! That boulder was trying to get me!" Navi and Saria's fairy joined in with Saria at the expression on Link's face. Link was pouting by the time they quieted down, a couple of minutes later.

"Well, Link, good luck with the Great Deku Tree," the green-haired girl said cheerfully.

"Yeah," he grumbled, walking away with a pout that rivaled Mido's.

"Come on," Navi said as they passed by the twin's house. "You're starting to look like the guy we're headed for," Link promptly readjusted his face and hopped to the delta, crossing the brook, and jumped to the other side.

"Hey, Mido, I'm back!" he announced loudly. "And I've got the Kokiri Sword and a Deku Shield!" Mido looked quite unhappy at this and crossed his arms, tapping his foot, as his pout got even bigger.

"Good grief!" he groused. "Well, even with all that stuff, a wimp is still a wimp, huh?"

"Hey, I resent that!" Link objected.

"I, the great Mido, will never accept you as one of us!" he retorted, hands on his hips. "Shoot! How did you get to be the favorite of Saria and the Deku Tree, huh?" He set off for his house at a fair pace.

"Glad that's over!" Navi commented. "Now, onwards and forwards!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Link waved his hand around flippantly, heading down the narrow passage.

Not far in, he encountered three plants with sharp, beaklike heads. They shot up from the ground, standing upright, and clattered their mouths noisily, waving their bodies around in circles.

"What the heck are those?" the boy exclaimed jumping back a bit and grabbing his dagger and shield from his back.

"Those are Deku Babas," Navi explained. "Luckily, these aren't as energetic as most and can't even attack actively. You can cut their stalks or avoid them, but be careful. Those beaks hurt!"

"Okay…" Link approached the nearest foe and cut its stalk asunder with a horizontal swing, easily putting it away. He quickly did the same to the other two. "That wasn't so tough," He bent down and picked up the sticks that they had dropped. "Deku Sticks?"

"Yes, they can be used as a breakable sword substitute or as a torch," his fairy informed helpfully.

"That's good and all, but I can't carry these and still fight off stuff," Link pointed out.

"Oh, right," Navi threw a tiny satchel at him. It got bigger when he caught it. "That should help,"

"And it is…?" he looked dubiously at the small bag.

"A Fairy Satchel, of course," she replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That should help you carry things without being weighted down," Link didn't understand the logic behind it, but shoved the sticks in, easily enough, and tied the bag to his belt. "It knows what you want when you reach back in, so no worries about getting things out again,"

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><p>Continuing on, they encountered no further opposition and, finally, came out of the path and into a large clearing. Ahead was the massive Deku Tree in all its glory.<p>

"Great Deku Tree, I'm back!" Navi announced, flying over to greet the tree.

"Oh, Navi. Thou hast returned…" the guardian deity replied. "Link, welcome," He addressed the boy now. Navi was a bit put off by the casual dismissal, but let it go. "Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee…Thy slumber these past moons have been restless, and full of nightmares,"

"Yeah, they have…why?" Link asked with a frown.

"As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it…Verily, thou hast felt it…" He paused. "Link, the time has come to test thy courage. I have been cursed. I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?" Link was a little taken aback by this sudden request.

"Yeah, I guess," he replied. A large portion of the tree's face moved, opening like a mouth.

"Then, enter, brave Link, and thou too, Navi…aid Link," the Deku Tree intoned. "And, Link, when Navi speaks listen well to her words of wisdom,"

"Right," Link nodded.

"Yes, sir!" Navi added before flying back to Link. Steeling himself, the boy walked the long distance forward and stepped into the dank insides of the guardian tree.

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><p><strong>Here's to hoping that the story will get past the first part of the game before I lose interest or something! Please remember to review.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**After many hours of work, chapter 2 is complete. This dungeon is standard, though slightly altered, but the subsequent ones will be different, due to the presence of others. I own nothing!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The First Test: Inside the Deku Tree<strong>

"It's big in here," Link looked around as he and Navi entered the tree. The room they were in was, indeed, massive, and only dimly lit by sunlight that filtered in through cracks in the walls. "And dark,"

"We'd better hurry, then. I don't want to be in here at night," Navi and Link both shuddered at the thought of having to spend the night in a dark, clammy tree that was full of monsters, regardless of it being their guardian deity. It wasn't but two more steps when they spotted a ladder of vines to their left. "I think you can climb these," the fairy commented.

"If they don't break, that is," Link muttered, grabbing firmly hold of the vines and hoisting himself up. He reached the top after an arduous ten second climb.

"Are you already tired, you lazy boy?" Navi taunted as he leaned on his knees with his hands, panting. Link spared her an annoyed look.

"I'm not used to climbing anything other than a ladder," the boy grumbled, setting off down the upper path that they were, now, on. Shortly, he came to a gap that had a ledge in the middle. Hopping across easily, he continued until they came to another wall of vines. "I'm not climbing that," he said flat out, seeing how hight it was.

"It wouldn't be a good idea, anyway," Navi replied. "Look," Link inclined his head towards the scratching noise that he was hearing and saw a large spider with a skull over its face.

"Ahh!" he took a step back. "How did I miss that?"

"There are three up there and, I'm sure, they won't want to let you climb by," the fairy informed him. "Skulltullas are very protective of their territory,"

"So I guess I'll keep going along this ledge," Link concluded, walking on and hopping another gap. They came to a doorway, for lack of a better term, and passed through. As they entered the smaller chamber, a wooden creature with a head of leaves and beady, orange eyes shot up from a pile of leaves that was in the middle of the room. It promptly spat a large Deku Nut at them, hitting Link in the shoulder quite painfully. "Ow!" He held his shield in front of him as another nut came flying his way. Somehow, the nut ricocheted back and struck the creature in the head.

"Ow-ow-ow!" it squeaked, shaking its leafy locks in distress. "Forgive me, master!"

"After you hit me with that nut?" Link objected, gingerly touching his shoulder and feeling pain. "I think I'm bruised!"

"If I give you a clue, will you let me go?" the scrub begged.

"C'mon, Link, he might have good advice," Navi put in.

"Fine, tell me," Link relented, not really wanting to kill a forest creature over something small like this, anyway.

"When you jump off a high cliff, you can roll when you land to dissipate the impact and lessen or avoid injury," the scrub squealed. Link gave him a look that clearly asked if and when he would jump off a cliff, but, to all appearances, it was ignored. "I can't guarantee it will work, though, if the cliff is really, really high, heh heh!" With that, the Deku Scrub bounced out of the room, making squeaking sounds. Link watched it go.

"Look, Link! He left a Recovery Blossom!" Navi pointed to the small, white flower blossom that was sitting in the pile of leaves.

"Oh, right, I've heard of these," Link picked it up. "They can be used to make medicine, or you can just eat them to heal yourself," He promptly shoved it in his mouth and chewed on it. His face quickly gained a grimace.

"They're really bitter, though…" Navi added, torn between concern and amusement as the boy swallowed with difficulty.

"Well, my bruise feels better, anyway," he exhaled after a moment. "Let's go in there," he pointed at the far doorway.

"That platform doesn't look stable," Navi pointed out as they looked at the stone platform that sat between the ledge that they had come out on to and the far ledge, where a chest sat. "The vines holding it up look frayed,"

"Well, I don't see any other way across, except a painful jump to the area below and climbing those ladders," Link replied. "We'll just have to go for it!" He took a running start and leapt onto the stone platform. Immediately, it began to shake as the supporting creepers started to unravel at the seams. Hurrying forward, the boy jumped clear as the platform fell and hit the floor with a thud that raised some dust. Link panted a little as he looked down at it. "That was close,"

"I told you," Navi commented. "Now there's no way back,"

"Well," Link scratched the back of his head. "Let's just see what's in this chest, okay?" He turned and opened the large chest, once again struggling to get the contents out. "Okay, it's a slingshot and…a…bag of Deku Pellets,"

"Well, that will help us with those Skulltullas we saw, but how do we get back out of here?" Navi pointed out. "It's not like there's a spare ladder or something,"

"What about that?" Link pointed to the cobwebs opposite them. Sure enough, there was a ladder up there, precariously held, and, by the looks of it, one good jolt would make it fall. "It looks like I could knock it down," He loaded the slingshot and aimed.

"Good luck," Navi responded. "Hitting that from here will probably be hard for someone who hasn't used a slingshot before," Link let the pellet fly and it managed to strike the ladder, making it fall to the floor.

"You were saying something?" Link smirked confidently as he stowed the slingshot away and tied the bag of shot to his belt.

"Shut up…" Navi grumbled as he climbed down one of the nearby ladders. After picking up the ladder and leaning it against the edge of the ledge that they had entered to, Link scaled the wooden tool and went back into the previous room. The Deku Scrub was gone, so they returned to the big, main room unhindered.

"Okay, it looks like you'll need to kill those Skulltullas with the slingshot before you go up that wall," Navi pointed out. Link wasn't excited at this prospect.

"Can't I just cut that webbing?" he pointed at the hole in the middle of the first floor of the room. It was, sure enough, covered in thick webbing.

"It's too thick," the fairy answered. "You'd just get your sword stuck in it,"

"Fine, I'll kill the stupid spiders and climb a mile-high wall, likely falling to my death," the boy grumbled, jumping the gap nearby and heading back to the wall. Loading his slingshot, he aimed high and hit the first Skulltulla. It fell with a heavy thud and Link stepped away to avoid it. "I really don't like these things…" he muttered, sniping the another. The third and highest was a hard shot, and he wasted a few pellets before he finally nailed it. "Okay, time to fall to my death," He grabbed hold of the vines and began to hoist himself up. He was gasping for air and his muscles were burning by the time he had gotten halfway up.

"Come on, it's not much further," Navi said encouragingly, seeing the grimace on his face. He would have retorted, but that required air. Slowly, he continued up the wall, managing to make it to the top just as his arms and legs were about to cramp up from the effort. He flung himself down on the circular, wooden pathway that went around the top of the tree and panted for breath. Navi felt rather guilty about putting him through that, so she was willing to wait until he could move again.

After about thirty minutes, he finally sat up, though his muscles protested every second of it.

"I'm never doing something like that again," he wheezed at the fairy, sounding very unhappy.

"Well, I think that this might be the last vine wall in this place, so cheer up!" Navi replied, trying to console him. He didn't reply, but, instead, started to look around at their surroundings. "There's a lot of cobwebs up here. I hope that there's no…Big Skulltulla!" They both spotted the large spider as it hung nearby, hiding partially in the thick webs above.

"Big Skulltulla's look tough, but they're really cowards," Navi assured him. He looked at her with disbelief. "Really! If you stare them down long enough, they'll turn away and let you hit their weak spot! Of course, they'll attack if your back is turned, but…"

"So what do we do up here, anyway?" Link got slowly to his feet, wincing at the soreness that his legs, arms, shoulders, and various other connected parts felt.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that you'll have to jump from one of the ledges up here," the fairy hazarded.

"Fairy says what?" Link exclaimed. "Are you nuts?"

"Well, that's just the way it looks to me," Navi shrugged. "There's no source of fire here and the impact of your weight from this height could be enough to break the webbing on the hole below,"

"I swear you're trying to kill me," the boy frowned, crossing his arms.

"Look, we don't have a lot of time to argue, here," the fairy said bluntly. "We came in around noon, so we only have about four hours before sunset," Link made a sound of annoyance and went over to the nearest ledge, forgetting about the Big Skulltulla. Before Navi could warn him, it dropped down and spun rapidly, cutting him with its sharp legs and send him flying off the ledge. The boy screamed as he fell, finally stopping when he slammed into the thick webs. They buckled, as Navi had predicted, and let him plummet into a pool of water.

"Link! Link! Are you okay?" the fairy shouted, flying in after him.

"Besides a painful tingling on my whole body and my heart feeling like it's about to explode, fine," he grumbled sarcastically, heaving himself out of the water and an un-submerged part of land that held a brazier of some sort.

"You got cut by that Skulltulla," Navi pointed out the tears in the back of his tunic and the bleeding scratches beneath.

"No, duh," Link grunted from his prone position. Feeling guilty again, Navi looked around and saw a Recovery Blossom growing nearby.

"Look!" she flew over and picked the flower. "A Recovery Blossom!" She brought it over to his face. He looked at it with half-open eyes.

"So it is," he brought his arm up heavily and took it, shoving into his mouth. Forcing himself to ignore the bitter taste, and swallowed it. The scratches on his back closed a little, ceasing their bleeding and looking more like scrapes, and his soreness faded slightly. Getting up with a grunt, he looked at the fairy. "Thanks,"

"No problem," she said happily, glad that he felt a little better.

Looking around the room, they concluded a few things.

"Well, I can't climb up to that ledge unless that block is down here," he pointed at the ledge across from them where a block sat, out of reach.

"I don't know why this brazier is here, but maybe you can light a Deku Stick and use it to burn those cobwebs," she pointed to the other un-submerged platform, where some webs blocked a doorway.

"Makes sense, but I can't swim with a burning stick," Link concluded. "I'll have to throw it,"

"I hope it doesn't burn the Great Deku Tree down," Navi muttered as Link put the end of a Deku Stick in the small flame and lit the piece of wood aflame.

"It's wet enough in here, he'll be fine," the boy reassured her, taking aim and hurling the stick with all his strength. It collided with the cobwebs and they quickly became a conflagration. As quickly as the fire started, it stopped, out of dry fuel. "Okay, let's head into that room," He jumped into the water and swam to the other side. A Deku Baba decided to take the opportunity to attack and sprung from the ground, snapping at him with its beak. Link quickly hopped back, getting his sword and dagger in hand.

"I take it that this one is more active than the ones outside?" Link asked.

"Yes, you'll have to wait until after it attacks to hit it," Navi informed him. "Of course, you can also block it with your shield, but they aren't stupid and will try to get around it," Link watched it snap at him again and stabbed it in the head. The plant squeaked in pain and went upright. Taking the initiative, the boy severed its stalk and it died, leaving another Deku Stick, which he promptly picked up and stowed away.

Heading into the next room, they encountered another pile of leaves. Link already had his shield up before the Deku Scrub even emerged and the first shot ricocheted back and hit the scrub in the eye, this time.

"Please forgive me, master! I'll never do it again!" the scrub pleaded. "If you spare me, I'll teach you something cool,"

"Such as?" Link asked, twiddling his dagger threateningly. The Deku Scrub eyed this apprehensively and continued with obvious nervousness.

"You will never beat my brothers up ahead unless you punish them in the proper order. The order is 231. Twenty-three is number one!" He started hopping out of the room. "Do you think I'm a traitor?" He called miserably back to Link and Navi.

"Yes!" the boy retorted.

"At least that's over," the fairy commented. "Let's remember that hint and go on,"

"Okay," Link agreed, heading into the next room.

Most of the chamber was full of water. A platform was being pulled back and forth by some vines that were, mysteriously, coming from the inside of the ledges that were on either side of the pool, allowing passage across. On the other hand, there was a massive, spiked log in the middle of the room, making sure that anyone who tried to use the platform would get multiple painful wounds to the face.

"Great…" Link muttered sardonically. "How now, Navi?"

"There has to be a way," the fairy replied, flying off to have a look around while Link scanned the room. "Here!" she called after a couple of minutes. "Look here!" She hovered over a spot in the water that was about halfway from the ramp to Link's left and the spiky log. Resigning himself to getting wet again, Link walked down into the water and swam over to Navi, trying to see what she was pointing to in the dim light that was, somehow, seeping in through the roof.

"A switch?" he inquired.

"It should do something," Navi responded. "Dive down and see," Taking a deep breath, he did so and pressed the switch with his hand before coming back up to the surface. They promptly heard water rushing out until there was enough missing that Link could ride the platform without injury. Heading back up the ramp, he waited until the platform was close enough and jumped aboard. Even though there was room for him, he still ducked as he went under the log. Finally, he jumped off and grabbed the edge of the opposite ledge, pulling himself up.

"That wasn't too bad," he said with a grin. "Now," he looked forward at the high up ledge ahead. "Just gotta get up there,"

"Just watch out for the Big Skulltulla," Navi gestured up. Link looked up and spotted the spider.

"I hate those things," he pulled out his slingshot and fired a pellet. It went into one of the eye holes in the skull and killed the thing, causing it to hit the ground with a thud. "Okay, now how to…" He looked over and spotted a large, wooden block. "That'll work," he walked over and heaved it over, smashing the Big Skulltulla's corpse with a satisfying crunching sound, and making a step up to the exit. Averting her eyes from the grossly crushed spider, Navi followed Link as he climbed up on the block, onto the ledge, and through the doorway. Almost immediately, they spotted another Big Skulltulla. Luckily, this one was facing away as it hung, exposing its vulnerable belly. Wasting no time, Link fired a few pellets at it, killing the thing.

"Good job," Navi complimented him.

"Thanks," he rubbed a finger under his nose and strode out into the circular room.

"Watch out!" the fairy exclaimed, but it was a little late and he was tackled by a disgusting-looking little monster with one eye. He beat it back with his shield and jumped away as it slashed at him again. "That's a Baby Gohma! It's really aggressive, but it should die if you hit it in the eye," Link dived out of the way as the Baby Gohma jumped at him. It skidded to a stop on its face and turned to face him, its eye turning red. Whipping out his slingshot, Link fired a pellet into its eye. It fell down on its haunches apparently stunned, judging by the wavering of its now-green eye. Seeing his chance, Link drove his dagger into the eye, causing it to collapse with a shriek and stop moving.

"That was…odd," Link wiped the green blood off on the monster's corpse and put his sword away.

"I hope that there aren't any more," Navi commented emphatically. "But, anyway, let's look around at this room,"

"Well," Link said, at length, "there's cobwebs blocking that hole over there, and there's another brazier in here, so…" He pulled out a Deku Stick and went over to the small flame. Lighting the wood, he ran back over to the web and ignited it with the fire before dropping the stick, as it was getting short and endangering his hands. "Here goes nothing," he said, crouching and crawling into the hole on all fours. It was very dusty, musty, and there were a few thin cobwebs, but he made it through with a bit of coughing.

"Look, Link, we're back in the other room," Navi said. Yes, they had returned to the room that he had fallen in, earlier. They were now up on the high ledge with the block and a hole that was covered in a cobweb.

"I think we'll need to burn this," Link deduced. "But getting the fire up here is the problem,"

"That block could help," Navi flew over to it. "Then you could jump from the brazier platform over to here,"

"Okay, that makes sense," he started to go over to the block, but was accosted by another Deku Baba. He blocked the surprise blow with his shield and cut its head in half, killing it and leaving a large Deku Nut behind.

"Your reflexes are getting better!" Navi complimented. "Oh, and that's a Deku Nut, you can throw it and stun enemies with the flash. Good for a getaway,"

"Gee, thanks," Link replied to the first comment, scratching his head.

Soon enough, the block was hefted down into the water, creating a way up. The boy hopped over to the brazier and lit a stick. Jumping back to the block, he carefully scrambled onto the high ledge, being careful not to ignite himself, and dropped the stick on the webbing. Promptly, a fire engulfed both and the hole was open.

"As much as I like diving into mysterious holes, I think I'll take the vines down," Link stated firmly, going over to the vines and carefully easing himself onto them. Slowly, he made his way down, but, a sixth of the way, the vines gave out and he plummeted once more, experiencing another stinging impact in a pool of water. He broke the surface, very unhappy indeed.

"Are you okay?" Navi asked cautiously.

"More or less," Link groaned, trudging out of the water. The lighting here was very poor, but there was still barely enough to see. Suddenly, a Deku Nut went flying by. Getting out his sheild, Link peered into the gloom and saw three Deku Scrubs arrayed around the small room.

"Do you think that these are the guys we have to use the 231 thing on?" Navi suggested.

"Probably," the boy agreed, deflecting a nut back at the middle scrub. He turned blue and began to squeal repeatedly. Turning, Link deflected a second nut at the scrub to the right and it, too, started doing this. The last scrub fired several nuts, but they were sent back and bowled him over.

"How did you know our secret? How irritating!" the scrub squeaked angrily.

"Your brother blabbed," Link replied.

"Grr!" the scrub was obviously very angry now. "I'm going to reveal the secret of Queen Gohma to you!" He hopped to the nearby doorway. "Oh, Queenie…" He called inside before hopping away, across the water, and ascending the vines.

"That sounds nice, there's a bigger Gohma here," Link said with heavy sarcasm.

"Yes, the Parasitic Armored Arachnid, Gohma," Navi replied. "It's much bigger and stronger than the baby you fought earlier,"

"Wonderful," Link scooped up the pile of Deku Pellets that were in the pile of leaves, which the Deku Scrub had vacated, and put them away before heading through the doorway. Promptly, the doorway caved in. Link spun as the room was plunged into semi-darkness. The only remaining light was from a small hole in the middle of the ceiling. "Now we're trapped,"

"What's that?" Navi exclaimed as they heard a scratching noise. Link turned slowly, feeling apprehension set in, and squinted at the large, moving mass on the roof of the room.

"I think that's…" he stopped when it faced him, fixing him with its large, glowing, orange eye. Dropping down, it roared menacingly and stood up on its limbs, aiming its tail at him. Link dived out of the way as the tail came smashing down. Its eye glowed red as it turned to face him.

"Shoot it!" Navi shouted. Link quickly whipped out his slingshot and fired a pellet into the monster's eye. Roaring, it fell down on its haunches, eye green, and groaned, stunned. Racing forward, Link plunged his dagger into the eye repeatedly, causing more shrieks of pain. Finally, Gohma had enough and spun, smacking him in the torso and sending him slamming into a wall, winded and bruised. The monster fled across the room, ascending the opposite wall and walking across the ceiling. "Get up, Link!" the fairy reprimanded.

"I think it broke something…" Link groaned, struggling back to his feet. Gohma hurled three larvae down from the ceiling, and they quickly turned into Baby Gohmas. "Oh, crap," he muttered as the enemies raced towards him. Gohma roared as he punched one in the face with his shield and jabbed it in the eye. Not stopping to see if it was dead, Link jumped back from the swipes of the other two and shot one in the eye, stunning it. The third baby charged at him, but he held out his shield, barely managing to keep his arm steady from the impact as it slammed into the sheet of wood, and then he stabbed its eye. As it collapsed, he shot the other one again, before it could properly recover, and then finished it, as well.

"Link! Gohma's eye is open again!" Navi shouted before the boy's adrenaline boost ran out. He pulled off another shot and the monster fell, with a mighty crash, to the misty floor. Charging forward, he stabbed viciously at the eye until Gohma screamed in agony and collapsed backwards. Unlike the other foes, thus far, it began to disintegrate and burst into green flames. Shortly, no trace remained.

"I…did it…" Link wavered on his feet, about to fall over.

"Yes, you did," Navi said, proud and worried at the same time. "But how do we get out?" Her question was answered as a ring of blue light appeared around them. In a flash of blue light, they were gone.

* * *

><p><strong>And so the hero managed to prevail...after getting beat up. What will happen next? Well, I'll let you know later, 'cause even I don't know all the details yet (he, he, he). Remember to review and so on.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3, after much slaving over a hot writing slate. I own nothing!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Legend and the Princess<strong>

They reappeared in front of the Deku Tree. Link, immediately, fell back onto his butt, unable to stand anymore.

"Well done, Link," the Deku Tree said softly. "Thou hast, verily, demonstrated thy courage…I knew that thou wouldst be able to carry out my wishes. Now, I have yet more to tell ye, wouldst thou listen?"

"I'm not sure…if I can stay awake much longer…" the boy objected.

"No, Link…ere you rest, thou must hear this. My time is short…" the Deku Tree replied solemnly. Link grimaced, but gave the guardian his attention. "Now, listen carefully…A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me…This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule…for it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods…" He coughed a few times.

"Are you okay, Great Deku Tree?" Navi asked concernedly. He ignored her and plowed on.

"Before time began, before spirits and life existed…three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of courage. Din, with her strong, flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law. Once their labors were completed, the three great goddesses, departed for the heavens and golden, sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis for our world's providence, and the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm," The tree paused and looked at Link. "Thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce…thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend…that evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power. Because of that curse, my end is nigh…"

"What?" Link and Navi exclaimed.

"Your efforts to break the curse were successful, though I was doomed before you started," the tree continued, his voice growing frailer and stopping Link from being angry. "Yes, I will pass away soon….but do not grieve for me…I have been able to tell you of these important matters. This is Hyrule's final hope…Link, go now to Hyrule Castle. There, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny. Take this stone with you, as well, the stone that man wanted so much that he cast the curse on me…" In a flash of green light, a shimmering, green stone, set in gold, appeared on the ground in front of Link. He picked it up, admiring its beauty, before stowing it away in his Fairy Satchel. "The future depends upon thee, Link…" the Deku Tree whispered. "Thou art courageous…Navi the Fairy…help Link to carry out my will…I entreat ye…Navi…Good…bye…" He then started to wither at an accelerated rate. His bark quickly turned from brown to grey and many leave fluttered down from the dead branches. The two stood there in silence for a moment

"Let's go to Hyrule Castle, Link," Navi said, finally, sounding like she had a cold. Link turned slowly, and started down the path, sorrow shining behind his eyes. Navi started to follow, but looked back at the spirit that had been like a father to her. "Good-bye…Great Deku Tree…" she whispered before turning and flying quickly away, tears running down her face.

* * *

><p>Mido accosted Link as he left the Deku Tree's meadow.<p>

"Hey, Link! What did you do?" he demanded, pointing at the dead tree in the distance. "The Great Deku Tree…did he…die?" Link nodded, exhausted and sad. "How could you do a thing like that? It's all your fault!" Link's eyes rolled back and he passed out. "Hey! Uh, oh!"

"Link!" Navi cried out. Mido went running to find help.

"Link just collapsed!" he called, arousing the Kokiri at the shop. They quickly raced over and proceeded to move him to his house. Of course, this involved having to get more ladders and tie them together so that they could carry him up there, but they managed.

* * *

><p>Link tossed and turned, having dreams of greenish-brown skinned men and giant, one-eyed monsters that were trying to kill him. Finally, he sat up with a cry.<p>

"Link! Link!" Saria called out, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Everything's fine!" He looked at her, understood, and fell back down on his pillow. His best friend grabbed the damp cloth that had fallen and put it back on his forehead.

"But…the Deku Tree…" Link muttered.

"Yes, he is no more, but, we'll manage," Saria consoled him softly, though she probably wasn't too sure of it, herself. "The Know-it-All Brother in charge of medicine treated your wounds and prescribed a potion that will help with the blunt-force injuries," She held up a small bottle of purple liquid. Link tried to sit up, but had trouble, so she helped him and tipped some of the bitter potion in his mouth. After swallowing, he lay back on his bed.

"Where's Navi?" he asked, looking at the ceiling.

"She's napping," Saria answered, looking over at the make-shift fairy bed that she had constructed on Link's table. "The loss of the Deku Tree hit her hard," Link felt even worse now. "You should get some more rest, I'll make you some food when you get up again," She blew out his beeswax candle and picked up her own as she left.

* * *

><p>A distant rooster woke him at dawn. He sat up and saw Saria moving his doorway tarp aside as she entered.<p>

"Oh, you're up," she said with a smile. "I was just about to make breakfast for you," Link managed a small smile of his own as he got up.

"Don't forget your medicine," Navi reminded him, flying out of the cabinet, where she had been snacking on Deku seeds.

"I know," Link yawned and picked up the bottle, finishing off the second dose.

"Everyone around town is worried, but Mido keeps telling them that there's nothing to worry about," Saria commented as she went about making hotcakes with blueberries. "Of course, I don't think he believes what he's saying. It's scary not having the Great Deku Tree," Link looked downcast again.

"It wasn't your fault, Link!" Navi yelled, getting in front of him. "That parasite just hurt him too much for him to recover,"

"Thanks, Navi," he muttered, heading over to the toilet in the corner and drawing the curtain. By the time he was done, Saria had arrayed two plates of blueberry hotcakes and two cups of Deku Fruit Juice on the table.

"Breakfast is served!" she said happily, sitting down to join him. He dug in with gusto.

"You're as good a cook as ever!" he exclaimed.

"Uh, thanks, Link," she blushed a little.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, they took a walk around town, making small talk and taking it easy, but the fact that he had to leave the forest and find the Princess of Destiny was gnawing at the back of his mind. How would he break it to everyone? Would Saria accept it? Navi was a little scared and excited, too. She had never left the forest before. Around nightfall, Saria, Link, and Navi had just finished eating dinner together.<p>

"Well, I think you're all better, now, so I'll leave you on your own, for now," his best friend commented as she finished cleaning off the plates in Link's washbasin. "But I'll see you tomorrow," she gave him a smile and waved as she left. He returned the wave heavily.

"Well, Link, when are we going to the castle?" Navi asked quietly after Saria had left.

"I don't know," he replied. "I can't think of how to tell everyone. Not to mention, I thought that Kokiri die when they leave the forest,"

"Well, that's not really been proven," Navi admitted. "I've always been told that, but I've never seen or heard if it's actually true," Link sighed.

"Okay, we'll get up around 05:00 tomorrow. I don't think anybody'll be up at that hour," he suggested. Navi nodded.

"We'd better go to sleep, then, if we're getting up early," Link watched her go to her makeshift bed.

"Good night," he said, blowing out the candle.

"Good night, Link," she yawned, snuggling into her sheets. Little did they know that someone was standing outside the tarp, listening. The person sniffed a couple of times and climbed down the ladder before running off.

* * *

><p>"Link! Link! Get up, you lazy boy!" Navi shouted, slapping his cheek a few times.<p>

"Ngh…five more minutes…" he mumbled, turning over.

"Hey! It was your idea to get up early!" the fairy did a few flying kicks to the back of his head for emphasis.

"Ow, ow…cut it out," he sat up, looking blearily at the fairy as she floated, with mild indignation, next to his bed. "Oh, yeah, leaving early," he yawned and got groggily up, stretching, and yawning again.

* * *

><p>After a hasty breakfast, Link packed some provisions, a spare tunic, a canteen, and other paraphernalia that he had around the house. Shoving it all in his Fairy Satchel, he blew out the candle before he and Navi headed out the door. He climbed down the ladder and started up the dirt path. Stopping briefly, he said a silent good-bye to his tree house and continued down the path. Dawn was about a half hour off, so it was light enough to see, but a mist was veiling the ground, reminding him chillingly of Gohma's lair. Shaking it off, he hurried towards the gap in the trees that was the forbidden northern exit of town. Once through, they found a bridge that spanned a gorge that could be accessed from the Lost Woods, or a painful jump from the bridge.<p>

"So, you're leaving," Saria said quietly, leaning against the support ropes on one side of the bridge. Link started and assumed a guilty expression.

"How did you know I'd be here?" he asked.

"I was listening last night," she replied with a sad look at the ground. "I was going to give you this, but then I heard…I wasn't trying to eavesdrop," She held out an ocarina, much like the one she liked to play. Link reached out and took it, not sure what to say. "It's okay, I knew you would leave, someday, Link, because you are different from me and my friends. We'll always be friends, though, so don't worry," He looked up, seeing her eyes becoming watery, but she smiled at him, anyway. "When you play my ocarina, I hope you will think of me and come back to the forest to visit,"

"I will," the boy turned, holding back his own tears. "How could I forget my home?" He forced a watery laugh. After a brief silence, he started to walk away from Saria, not seeing her sad face. "See ya," he muttered, running away.

* * *

><p>"Link…are you better, now?" Navi asked softly after a few minutes of waiting for him to finish crying in the bushes. "I see the edge of the forest! I think we're almost to Hyrule Field!"<p>

"Hyrule Field?" Link repeated, wiping his eyes and stepping next to her.

"Yes, it's the large field that connects the regions of Hyrule together," the fairy informed him.

"Of course, it's a lot more dangerous with the Stalchildren, Peahats, and other dangerous foes that have appeared, of late, but don't feel discouraged," a voice said from a tree above. They jumped and looked up to see a massive owl perched there. "Hoo, hoot! I am Kaepora Gaebora!" He wobbled his head from side to side.

"A giant owl…" Link muttered. "Well, Gohma was still weirder, I guess,"

"As I said, it is your fate to face hardships, but don't feel discouraged, even in the toughest times!" Kaepora continued. "Go straight down the road and you will see Hyrule Castle. You will meet a princess there," He took to the air. "I'll see you around! Hoot hoot hoot hoo!" With that, he flapped off into the distance.

"Well, you heard him, let's go find that castle!" Navi said with her old enthusiasm.

"Right!" Link forced some of his own and set off down the path as a distant rooster signaled the dawn.

* * *

><p>An hour or so down the road, they hadn't seen much but the endless fields of grass, the winding dirt road that they were on, and several birds milling around in the sky.<p>

"Those are Guays," Navi warned. "They're likely to attack when we pass their territory, but they can be killed with your slingshot or, at close range, with your sword,"

"Then what are those Peahats that Kaepora mentioned?" Link looked over at her, a little tired, already, from more walking than he was used to.

"Oh, you better hope we don't run into one of those, they're nasty," the fairy replied ominously. "But, luckily, they're only off the road, so we shouldn't have a problem,"

"Right…" he muttered.

* * *

><p>Another hour down the line, Link was starting to get impatient and his legs were aching badly.<p>

"How much further is it?" he asked, stopping. Navi shrugged.

"I don't know. Do I look like I have a map?" she answered, sounding a bit tired and annoyed.

"Well, I'm taking a lunch break," Link flopped down on the ground and took out a packet of Deku cram, his canteen, and a bag of toasted Deku seeds. Surprisingly, the fairy didn't object, well, her wings were hurting, and sat down next to the bag of seeds. They ate a bit in silence, for a while, before Link spoke. "So what do you think the princess is like?" Navi shrugged.

"Well, she's probably a girl," the fairy replied.

"That's obvious," Link answered. They both laughed a little before he stowed his things away again. "Well, let's keep moving,"

* * *

><p>In hour three along the road, they finally encountered some opposition. Apparently, they had finally reached where the Guays were wheeling around, because a few decided to come at Link.<p>

"Watch out!" Navi shouted. Pulling out his slingshot, he fired several pellets while trying to back away from the vicious-looking birds. A few fell, dead, to the ground, but a couple made it to him and snapped at his ear and shoulder. In pain, Link swiped at them with his dagger and severed them in two. "Run! More are coming!" the fairy warned. Link didn't need telling twice and legged it along the road, hearing the odd cries following him.

* * *

><p>At length, they finally halted, tired, in front of a circular stone wall with a gate in it.<p>

"Lon Lon Ranch," Link panted, reading the sign over the ajar gate.

"Look! The castle!" Navi exclaimed, as she had happened to look over that way and see it. Link turned and saw it, as well.

"Hooray," he groaned. "Let's move, the sun's getting low," Tired as they were, the two pushed on.

"Link, my wings feel like they're about to snap off," Navi moaned. "Can I rest under your hat?"

"Uh, sure, I guess," he agreed, feeling odd about being asked such a thing.

"Thanks," she flew over and lifted up the brim before walking underneath and lying down in his hair. This felt odd, but Link ignored it and concentrated on getting across the drawbridge ahead before sundown. _Haven't I seen this, somewhere, before?_ he wondered as he crossed the wooden gate that, currently, bridged the flowing water of the below moat.

"Welcome to Hyrule Castle Town," a man in chain mail greeted as they crossed the drawbridge. He also wore a helmet that overshadowed his eyes and held a spear, which he kept the haft of on the ground. The Hylian crest was emblazoned on his, for lack of a better word, belt. "It's a peaceful, prosperous town," He looked at the dusty, tunic-wearing, exhausted youth and his expression changed from polite to slightly worried. "You look like you've had a rough day. Feel free to rest in the guardhouse, here, if you want," He gestured to the nearby door in the nearby building.

"Thanks," Link said gratefully, dragging himself over to the door and opening it.

"Hey, Al! Let this kid sleep in one of the bunks, okay?" the gate guard called inside after Link. The guard inside roused himself from reverie.

"Okay, Steve!" Al replied, walking over to Link. "Here," he guided him over to one of the two double bunks that were stored in the alcoves, among various supply pots, which were covered in thick paper and bound shut with thick cord. "Just lie down here, there's nobody using this one right now, anyway," He turned and started heading back to where he had been standing. "If you get hungry, just yell!" Link didn't reply, as he had already passed out.

"Poor kid," Steve commented, coming through the door and walking over to the gate winch, which was in the remaining alcove. "I wonder if he's a refugee from somewhere?" Al shrugged.

"Who knows? But things would be more interesting if there were more…troubles in the world. You know what I mean?"

"Not really, no, I like peace," Steve grunted as he pulled the wheel of the winch around to draw the drawbridge up. "Boredom means that we have no worries,"

"I guess…" Al yawned. "Well, I'd better get started on my night shift,"

"You do that," Steve said, going over to the other bunk and hanging his chain mail on a hook, propping his spear against the wall, removing his helmet, and falling into bed. Al looked at him and then pulled a book out of a nearby pot. It was titled _A Myriad of Spirits and Their Secrets_.

* * *

><p>"Hey, hey, kid," Al nudged him. "It's about daybreak, get up,"<p>

"Five more minutes," he grumbled, turning away.

"Look, I don't have time for this, I've got to get Steve up," Al grumbled, poking Link with his spear.

"Ow!" the boy jumped up and smacked his face on the upper bunk. "What's the big idea?"

"Same way I get Steve up," Al replied defensively, going over to the other bunk. Sure enough, he heard an exclamation of pain from the other bunk.

"What's all the racket?" Navi asked, coming out from under his hat. "Where are we?"

"The guardhouse next to Castle Town's gate," the boy answered with a yawn. "They let us stay here,"

"Hey, kid," Steve appeared as he passed by the alcove. "You hungry?"

"Yes!" Link and Navi said simultaneously.

"What's that?" Steve asked, confused, pointing at Navi.

"A fairy," Link replied, surprised that someone didn't know about a fairy.

"Oh, well, whatever," the guard shrugged. "Come on over to the table," He led them over to a wooden table that was in the corner of the room.

On the table was arrayed a quarter round of cheese, a half loaf of bread, a pitcher of milk, three metal cups, and three metal plates.

"We usually have four guards here, but they had business elsewhere," Al explained with a yawn, cutting pieces of cheese and bread and distributing them to plates. "So it's just us,"

"What is this?" Navi asked as Steve doled out cups of milk.

"Huh? You not from around here?" Steve raised his eyebrows, or so it looked, as his eyes were hidden by his helmet. "This is cheese, bread, and milk. Standard guard fare, but the townsfolk get better and the ranchers get the best, as they produce the food, and all," Link was hungry enough to try anything, so he dug in and discovered that he liked this Hylian food. "Gorons eat rocks, never quite got that, and the Zoras have incredible fish-based dishes, although they also import milk and whatnot," Steve continued before noticing Link's ravenous appetite. He chuckled. Al yawned and trudged over to his bunk, having already finished eating.

"This is very different," Navi commented, nibbling on some cheese. "But a good different,"

"So, not to pry, but what brings you here?" Steve asked. "I'll try to help, if I can, but it's obvious that you're not from mainstream Hyrule,"

"We came from Kokiri Forest," Link responded after swallowing a mouthful of milk and bread.

"Never heard of it," Steve admitted. "Granted, I'm not a fancy scholar type like the ones that you'd find in the castle library, but-"

"Actually, that's why I'm here," Link interjected. "I need to get into the castle to see the princess," Steve stared for a few seconds and then started to laugh.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that any of the guards will want to oblige you on that," he informed them. "The princess can't be bothered to meet with commoners,"

"But we have to! The Great Deku Tree said that it was important!" Navi intoned passionately. Steve frowned.

"A lot of people want to call on the princess, some even go as far to try to sneak in to see her, but I wouldn't recommend trying that," he warned. The dawn came with the crowing of a distant rooster and light began to peek, in earnest, through the windows in the alcoves that held the bunks. "I've got to lower the gate. See you around," Steve went over and released the latch on the winch, leaving Link and Navi to brood and finish their food.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the boy and the fairy headed for the door and left.<p>

"Thanks for putting us up for the night," Link said to Steve.

"No problem," the guard nodded. "By the way, a lot of people around town have found ways of circumventing security at the castle. I'm not saying that you should do the same, but…" He trailed off.

"Okay…" Link and Navi headed on down the white-bricked road and to the growing bustle that they could hear ahead.

_Why do I always feel sorry for kids and tell them things? _Steve shook his head and looked out of the gate, waiting for more wayfarers that were unlikely to come.

* * *

><p>Link was very confused when he arrived in the market square. There were dozens of people around, each going about their daily routines and creating a lot of noise in the process. He was almost bowled over by a bald, smiling, prancing guy that was screaming about being late for something.<p>

"These people have no manners!" Navi complained, looking over at a nearby sales stall, where around twenty people were fighting over products and causing most of the din that was in the area. A couple of guards were nearby, looking reluctant to try to break up the fight. Link couldn't blame them.

"Hey, kid!" some guy in blue called. "Listen to what this crazy guy tried to do!" He said through his laughter. "Can you believe that this guy was crazy enough to try to sneak into the castle to see Princess Zelda? Because of this idiot, they've tightened security at the castle," He broke into heavy laughter.

"Hey!" the other guy, in red, protested. "Here's what happened. I wanted to see Zelda, so I avoided the guards, swam through the moat, but I got stuck! There was a small drain hole on the right side of the castle, but it was too small for me to crawl through!" Link slowly made his way away from the two men, and they didn't seem to care.

"Hmm, he was too big to fit, but maybe you're not," Navi suggested. "You fit through holes before,"

"Yeah, and I like going through holes with who-knows-what in them," Link replied sarcastically. "Well, I guess that I've got no choice but to follow that guy's plan. Where's the castle?" Before Navi could point out the big, obvious castle on the horizon, a red-haired girl sidled up to them and giggled.

"Hey, your clothes!" she commented as Link turned to face her with mild shock, relaxing a little when he saw who it was. "They're…different…You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm from Kokiri Forest," Link explained. "I'm Link, and this is Navi,"

"Hello!" Navi greeted.

"Hello!" the girl replied. "So you're a fairy boy from the forest. My name is Malon! My dad owns Lon Lon Ranch!"

"Oh, yeah, I saw that place yesterday," Link nodded.

"Dad went to the castle to deliver some milk, and he hasn't come back yet…I was about to go ask the guards about it. See you, fairy boy!" she waved and smiled at him before walking off up the road, heading for the castle in the distance.

"Let's follow her," Link said to Navi.

* * *

><p>The stone-laden path of the town deteriorated to a broad dirt road as the two headed towards the castle gate.<p>

"Hey, Link! This way!" A voice shouted from the top of a nearby, very tall, tree. Link jumped and looked up to see Kaepora with his head upside down.

"Is something wrong with your head?" he asked, slightly bothered out by it.

"No, owls have flexible necks. Don't worry," he flipped his head right side up again. "Anyway, the princess is inside the castle just ahead. Be careful not to get caught by the guards! Ho ho ho Hoot! Well, which way are you going to go, now? You can bribe the gate guard or climb those vines over there, but, after that, you'll just have to be stealthy and clever to get in. That shouldn't be a problem, though, you're a smart kid. Good luck. Hoo, hoo!" He flapped into air and took off.

"The guard at the gate said that he hasn't seen Dad since he went in," Malon said, walking up to him.

"Then he's probably still inside," Navi deduced.

"He must have fallen asleep somewhere around the castle," Malon answered. "What a thing for an adult to do!" she giggled. "Are you going to the castle, fairy boy?"

"Fairy boy?" Link repeated, looking nonplussed.

"Yes, we are," Navi responded. "Do you want us to look for your dad?"

"Would you?" she asked, giving Link the puppy-dog eyes.

"Okay," he averted his eyes, feeling odd. "I'm going in there, anyway,"

"Oh, thank you!" the girl hugged him. He was left in mild shock after she let go. "You can climb these vines to get over the gate, I think,"

"Okay, Navi, let's go," Link grabbed the vines and pulled himself up a little easier than he did in the Deku Tree. Apparently, he was getting stronger. Shortly, they found themselves on top of the cliff that linked to the gate that crossed the path to the castle.

"There's a guard on top of there, and there's probably one in the gatehouse, so you'll have to jump off the gate," Navi explained.

"More bodily injury, huh?" he sighed, walking on to the gate. He carefully gauged the distance, glancing over to the guard to make sure his back was turned, and leapt from the white stone structure. He managed to roll upon landing, but it still hurt a little. Creeping along the path, he spotted a couple of guards ahead. "No good that way, and there's one up on the hill, too,"

"You can creep by and take that dirt path through the grass, but you'll have to be quiet," Navi whispered. Link nodded and started tiptoeing up the incline, glancing between the guards, and struck the path that Navi had pointed out. After fifteen minutes, he made it to a rock wall that had a rough texture to it, making it possible to climb it. Link struggled up, finding it harder than climbing vines because, let's face it, trying to grip grooves in rock is harder than gripping vines. Eventually, he made it to the top of the wall, panting, and sat down for a bit.

"I don't think that we've been seen," Navi looked around. "Either these guards are shortsighted or they aren't looking around much,"

"Or both," Link suggested, getting up slowly and walking to the other edge of the rock outcropping, looking down at the moat and the path that ran alongside it and up to the castle and its drawn drawbridge. "Let's see, the guy said to swim the moat…"

"Well, there's guards in the gateway, there," Navi pointed out. "Climbing up here and swimming through the moat is the only stealthy way to get by the guards and gate without being noticed,"

"Right…" Link prepared himself and jumped off, hitting the edge of the path and falling in the water with a loud splash.

"What was that?" one of the nearby guards shouted, running from his post and coming over to the moat. Link held his breath as he hugged the wall and allowed the current to take him downstream.

"It was probably a fish or something," the other guard called. "They get through the filters, sometimes,"

"Yeah, I guess…" the first guard conceded, returning to his post. Link breathed a sigh of relief as he hit a shallow spot, further down the line. Checking cautiously to make sure that the guards were still looking away and that there were no more ahead, he climbed clear of the water.

"Who's that?" Navi pointed at a portly, hairy guy with a mustache and ponytail. He was snoozing up ahead. Link approached the loudly snoring man.

"I think this must be Malon's dad," Link deduced. "Hey! Get up!" Link kicked him. He grunted, but stayed asleep.

"Hey!" Navi yelled in his ear. He groaned and swatted her away. Link looked at the man, puzzled, for a moment, and then pulled out his dagger.

"What are you doing?" Navi asked, not liking the mischievous smirk on Link's face.

"This is how Al wakes people up," the boy replied, poking the man gently enough to not injure him but hard enough to still inflict pain.

"What in tarnation!" the man shouted, jumping up and rubbing at his back as Link stowed his weapon away again. "Can't a person get a little shut-eye around here?" He spotted Link. "Oh, hello. Who might you be?"

"Are you Malon's dad?" Link inquired of him.

"Yep, I'm Talon, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch," the man replied with a nod. "I went to the castle to deliver some milk, but I sat down here to rest, and, I guess, I fell asleep…"

"Well, Malon was wondering where you were and sent us to look for you," Link explained.

"What? Malon was looking for me?" he looked horrified. "I'm gonna catch it from her now! I messed up bad, leaving Malon behind to wait for me! She's really gonna let me have it!" He immediately took off at a surprisingly fast run, his arms waving in the air.

"Hey! Watch it, tubby!" one of the guards protested as he was knocked over by the rancher's antics. Link stared after him for a moment, a pensive look on his face, but he soon shook it off.

"Look! There's that drainage hole that that guy mentioned," Navi floated over to it and pointed it out.

"But how do I get to it?" Link cocked his head. "It's too high to jump to from here,"

"Well, I hate to say it, but you'll have to shove those milk crates into the water to make a stepping stone," Link looked at the heavy crates.

"You sure that won't make someone mad?" he asked uncertainly.

"Probably, but I'm sure the guards can fish the crates out if they need them," Navi responded dismissively. "Now, hurry up before someone comes to fetch them,"

* * *

><p><strong>I would keep going, but I'm getting tired and whatnot, so the rest of the infiltration will have to wait until the next chapter. Remember to review and all that good stuff.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Whew, I'm tired! This took quite a while and ran almost 7000 words. Maybe I should've broken it a little sooner. Oh, well. I own nothing!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: The Spiritual Stones, An Ally, and Death Mountain <strong>

Link went over to the crates, looking doubtfully at them, when he spotted a nearby door.

"Can't we just go in here?" he asked.

"No, it's probably for the guys that are going to collect these crates _any moment now_," Navi replied impatiently as Link pulled on the knob, anyway. Needless to say, the fairy was right again. Unwillingly, Link trudged back over to one of the crates and began shoving against it with all his might, resulting in it moving a little, but most of the force was lost in his feet sliding on the smooth stone and the inertia of the heavy box that didn't want to move from its current spot. After a few minutes, he finally managed to get it over to in front of the hole. "Now you just have to shove it in the moat," Panting and fairly exhausted, Link gave her a glare before moving heavily over to another side of the box and pushing with all his might on it. Pretty soon, it fell into the water with a splash and a clunk. Link sat down on it for a breather, sweat glistening on his skin in the midmorning sun. "No, that's not high enough," Navi gauged. "You'll have to push the other crate on top of this one,"

"I severely hate you," Link muttered, struggling to his feet and going over to the other crate. Navi just blew a raspberry. After a few more minutes, it was on top of its mate, creating a tower, of sorts, that the boy could climb on and jump to where the water was draining. For some reason, the guards hadn't put a grate over it, even though someone had tried to sneak in that way. Link took another short break before climbing up on the crates. Suddenly, the nearby door began to rattle.

"Someone's coming! Hurry!" Navi warned. Link ran to the edge of the containers and sprang forward into the water. Fortunately, the current wasn't too bad, so he was able to get on all fours and scramble in.

"What the heck? Why are they in the moat?" he and Navi heard someone shouting. "I'm taking it out of Talon's pay!"

"Now I feel kinda bad," Navi commented as Link tried to ignore the gross lichen and moss that he was having to crawl through.

"Oh, and driving me like a slave doesn't bother you at all," he replied darkly.

"Nope," she said cheerfully. Link looked very unhappy. "I'm kidding! I was just mad because you were taking too long and going to get caught. I'm sorry,"

"Whatever," he whispered as he came out in a small pool that was, obviously, in the castle courtyard. "Now be quiet, there's probably guards in here,"

"Isn't that my line?" Navi asked quietly. Link shrugged and proceeded out of the pool. They crept out of the first area, coming to a hedge fairly quickly. Ducking behind it, Link peered through, seeing a guard walking his beat around another hedge. Periodically, he would stop and look side to side. Link slowly tiptoed out of hiding as he proceeded around to the back of the central hedge and dashed by as he was behind it.

"Huh?" the guard looked over, having heard a noise, but Link was already safely behind a wall. "Oh, well," he shrugged and kept walking the beat. Link let out a breath of relief and turned to the next obstacle. It was a wooden structure that was hung with flowering vines. A small, stone staircase led up to the top of the structure.

"The guard is walking his beat underneath, if you're quiet enough, you can probably sneak by on top of the structure," Navi suggested in a whisper. Link nodded and proceeded to sneak up the stairs, peering over the top of the structure. Surely enough, the guard was walking his beat, pausing periodically and looking side to side, just like the previous one, but he wasn't looking up. Link cautiously stole along the wooden structure, crossing the middle at a snail's pace, his heart beating quicker as he heard the guard's armor clinking below. Eventually, he made it to the end and jumped towards a stone wall, rolling as he landed. Unfortunately, he banged his head on the wall, quite painfully, I might add, and was reducing to silently clutching his head, in quiet agony, in the grass. Navi looked quite sorry for him and wished she could help, and then she saw a Recovery Blossom growing on the flower vine structure. She soared over and plucked it, making sure the guard didn't see, and flew back to him. She silently offered it and he took it, quickly eating it. The pain in his head abated quickly, and he stood up, peaking over the lower part of the wall. This beat had two guards, who were walking around two fountains, occasionally meeting in the middle. Link waited until they were both in the middle and made a break for it, hiding beside the nearest fountain.

"Nothing, as usual," one of the guards complained.

"Well, it's a living," the other shrugged as they got back to the beat and headed to the backs of their respective fountains. Link took off immediately when their backs were turned, clearing the second fountain and diving behind another hedge in the next area before the guard cleared the fountain. There was now a large, rectangular hedge in the middle of the guards' beat, and the two of them seemed to be more cautious than the others previous. They stopped far more frequently and looked more carefully around. They still had a major flaw though.

"They're both on the other side, go for it!" Navi hissed. Link obeyed without any ado and legged it quietly to the end. Turning, they passed through a tunnel of white stone and came out in a courtyard with a moat, a flower bed in the middle, and a window to their left, right, and forward. The latter window had a girl in a pink dress and white cap, of sorts, looking through it. It appeared that she was trying to be covert but Link saw, as he snuck up on her, that a few of the guards were eyeing her and wondering what she was doing.

"What're you looking at?" Link said suddenly. Predictably, the girl jumped and screamed, spinning and smacking him across the face. He staggered, holding his red cheek. "What was that for?"

"For scaring me!" the girl retorted, her dazzling blue eyes narrowed with disapproval. "At any rate, who are you? How did you get past the guards?"

"Well, I just hid and was very quiet," Link shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

"Really, if they just stood in the direct path of procession, no one would be able to get through," Navi added, shaking her head.

"Oh? What's that?" the girl pointed to Navi. "Is that…a fairy?"

"Yes," Link answered slowly.

"Then, are you…are you from the forest?" she continued excitedly. Link nodded, starting to be put off a little. "Then…then…you wouldn't happen to have…the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you? That green and shining stone…"

"Uh…" Link reached into his Fairy Satchel. "Is this it?" He pulled out the Kokiri Emerald and held it out.

"Just as I thought!" she smiled and let out a laugh as she put her hands together. "I had a dream…In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule…but, suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest; it parted the clouds and lit up the ground. The light turned into a figure holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy…" She came out of her reverie. "I know this is a prophecy that someone would come from the forest…Yes, I thought you might be the one…" She suddenly jumped. "Oh, I'm sorry! I got carried away with my story and I didn't even properly introduce myself! I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule," she tried to act formal for this line, bowing her head a little and closing her eyes humbly, but the effect didn't quite go off the way she wanted. "What is your name?"

"Link," Link nodded. "And this is Navi,"

"Link…" she repeated his name slowly. "Strange, it feels, somehow…familiar," She then smiled again and put her hands together. "Okay, then, Link…I'm going to tell you the secret of the Sacred Realm that has been passed down by the Royal Family of Hyrule. Please keep this a secret from everyone…"

"Like I have anyone I'd tell, at the moment," the boy responded. "But, yes, I won't tell anyone,"

"All right, the legend goes like this," the princess began. "The three goddesses hid the Triforce containing the power of the gods, somewhere in Hyrule. There is the power to grant the wish of the one who holds the Triforce in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity…but if someone with an evil mind has his with granted, the world will be consumed by evil…that is what has been told. So the ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones," Link and Navi looked surprised. "That's right…the Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world. However, the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time and, in order to open the door, it is said that you need to collect three Spiritual Stones. Another thing you need is the treasure that the Royal Family keeps, along with this legend, the Ocarina of Time!"

"That's a lot to take in at once," Navi commented from Link's shoulder.

"Do I need to tell you again?" Zelda asked, tilting her head.

"No, I think I got it," Link declined, already sleepy from listening and not wanting to admit it.

"That's great!" she giggled again. "Oh, you wanted to know what I was looking at?" She stepped aside and held her hand towards the window. "I was spying through this window just now…the other element from my dream, the dark clouds, I believe that they symbolize that man in there!" Link stepped forward and peered through, ignoring the inquisitive looks from the royal guards. A vaguely familiar man with greenish-brown skin, a jewel-adorned forehead, prominent nose, and black armor, was bowing to the king, a man in red with a bushy, white beard.

"Can you see the man with the evil eyes?" Zelda asked.

"Yes," Link replied a bit shakily.

"That is Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudo," she explained. "They hail from the desert far to the west. Though he swears allegiance to my father, I am sure he is not sincere. The dark clouds that covered Hyrule in my dream…they must symbolize that man!" Ganondorf suddenly noticed that he was being watched and turned, exclaiming, apparently, at the window. Link jumped back, heart thundering.

"What happened? Did he see you?" the princess inquired, concerned. "Don't worry," she consoled him. "He doesn't have any idea what we're planning…yet!"

"Didn't you tell your dad about your dream?" Link asked. "He's the king! He can do something about Ganondorf,"

"Yes, I told my father…however, he didn't believe it was a prophecy," Zelda looked a little downcast. "But…I can sense that man's evil intentions! What Ganondorf is after must be nothing less than the Triforce of the Sacred Realm. He must have come to Hyrule to obtain it! He wants to conquer Hyrule…no, the entire world!" She faced Link with determination and took his hand. "Link, now we are the only ones who can protect Hyrule! Please!" Even if he wasn't already too nice for his own good, her pleading blue eyes would've, probably, won him over. Plus, he did already promise the Deku Tree, and all.

"Okay, I'll help," he smiled.

"Thank you!" she smiled as well, releasing him. "I…I am afraid…" she looked at the ground. "I have a feeling that man is going to destroy Hyrule. He has such terrifying power!" She looked back at him. "But it's fortunate that you have come. We must not let Ganondorf get the Triforce! I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power! He shall not have it! You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!" She pulled a piece of paper, a quill, and a bottle of ink out of her pocket and crouched down, scribbling a hasty letter on top of one of the nearby planters.

"Take this letter," she stood and shoved the folded stationery at him. "I'm sure it will be helpful to you," Link took the letter, examined it for a second, and stowed it away. "My attendant will guide you out of the castle," she pointed to the formidable-looking woman, who had been standing near the entrance to the courtyard, arms crossed, since Ganondorf had raised the alarm on Link. She hadn't interfered, though, as Link seemed to bear no hostility. "Don't be afraid to talk to her," He was quite intimidated by the woman, but approached her, anyway.

"I am Impa, of the Sheikah," the woman introduced herself brusquely. "I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda," She paused briefly, looking the dusty kid over. "Everything is exactly as the Princess foretold," She smiled a little and Link relaxed slightly. It was nice to know that she could smile. "You are a courageous boy, heading out on a big, new adventure, aren't you?" Link nodded slowly, not sure whether this required an answer. "My role in the Princess's dream was to teach a melody to the one from the forest. This is an ancient melody, passed down by the Royal Family,"

"Is it really okay to teach us that?" Navi asked. "We already know enough secrets,"

"Trust me, you'll need it," Impa replied. "And one more won't hurt," She pulled out a harmonica. "I have played this song for Princess Zelda, as a lullaby, ever since she was a baby…there is a mysterious power in these notes. Now listen carefully," she played a short tune. Zelda yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm going to go take a nap," the princess announced, taking her leave.

"Memorize this song," Impa said to Link. He pulled out his ocarina and tried to imitate the song. Of course, they were using different instruments, so it took a little while, but Impa seemed to have quite a bit of patience. Finally, Link played Zelda's Lullaby and Impa nodded, putting away her harmonica. "If the castle soldiers find you, there will be trouble. Allow me to escort you out," She led him out of the courtyard, telling any guard they encountered to stand down and that the boy was a guest.

* * *

><p>A figure in the leftmost window watched the boy and the woman leave. Mulling over the information that he had just heard, he packed up the books that he had been reading and departed the castle library.<p>

* * *

><p>"You brave lad…" Impa said, finally, after their long, quiet walk to Hyrule Field. They, now, stood at the end of the drawbridge, far enough away so that Steve could shoot them inquisitive looks but not overhear them. "We must protect this beautiful land of Hyrule," Link looked around at the lovely field and its scenery and agreed. "Take a good look at that mountain," the Sheikah pointed to the prominent mountain to their left, across the river and on the horizon. "That is Death Mountain, home of the Gorons. They hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire," She turned to look at Link. "At the foot of Death Mountain, you will find my village, Kakariko. That is where I was born and raised. You should talk to some of the villagers there before you go up Death Mountain. Remember, the song that I just taught you has some mysterious power and only Royal Family members are allowed to learn it, meaning that it will help prove your connection to them,"<p>

"Got it," Link nodded. Impa nodded solemnly.

"The Princess is waiting for you to return to the castle with the stones. We're counting on you!" She then pulled out a small, black ball and threw it at the ground, creating a smoke screen. Link coughed on the irritant powder and backed out of it. By the time the smoke cleared, the Sheikah was nowhere to be seen.

"That was rude!" Navi complained.

"I'm not arguing with you," Link replied, rubbing his watering eyes.

* * *

><p>After a brief break, they discussed what their next move would be.<p>

"We could go straight to Kakariko, but I don't think that what little provisions you packed will last much longer," Navi noted as they ate the last of the food and drank the last of the water.

"Hmm…" Link contemplated and his gaze fell on the ranch in the distance. "Didn't Steve say that the ranch makes the food? Why don't we go there to get some?"

"How do you know that they'll even let us have anything?" the fairy argued. "We're broke and can't rely on charity, again," Link shrugged.

"Let's just talk to Malon, I'm sure something will work out,"

"That's completely reckless!" Navi protested as Link set off down the dirt path.

* * *

><p>After a couple of hours, they finally passed through the gates of the ranch. It was a fairly nice place. The barn was to their left as they entered, the house to their right, and a corral was straight ahead. Link looked around as they came out into the open and saw how large the corral was and then how large the field it was in was.<p>

"This place is huge!" Link exclaimed, watching a horse run laps around the corral and observing the clucking, milling cuccos nearby.

"Do you hear singing?" Navi asked. Link strained his ears and caught a faint song coming from inside the corral.

"Yeah, must be Malon," Link concluded. "Let's head over!" He hurried over, avoiding being trampled by the horse that was running laps, and entered the corral. Horses were everywhere, whinnying, grazing, and galloping around. Malon was in the middle of the corral, singing for a red colt. She stopped singing when she saw Link and the colt fled when Link drew near.

"Oh, it's the fairy boy again!" she giggled. "My dad told me about how you found him! How did you like the castle? Did you see the princess?" She giggled again. "Dad came home in a hurry after you found him,"

"Uh…yeah, I saw the princess," Link said, a bit taken aback by the bombardment of rapid statements and questions. "That's kinda why I'm here,"

"Huh?" Malon tilted her head.

"I'm going on this long search and I kinda ran out of food," Link scratched the back of his head. "Do you have any I could have? I'll try to pay, but I'm kinda broke,"

"Oh…" Malon looked a little troubled. "Well, I'll ask dad about it later, first I want to introduce you to my friend, fairy boy! She's that little colt that ran away. She's so cute! It looks like Epona's afraid of you, though, fairy boy…" She sang her song again and the colt returned to nuzzle her face. She stopped and giggled, rubbing Epona's head gently.

"Well it seems like she likes that song, so maybe she'd like me if I played it?" Link suggested.

"My mother composed the song," Malon explained as Epona took off again. "Isn't it nice? Let's sing, together,"

"I'm no good at singing, but…" he pulled out his ocarina.

"Oh, cute ocarina!" Malon complimented. "Are you going to play this song with that ocarina?"

"I'll try,"

"Okay, this is the song…" she sang it again and Link attempted to match her notes. Once again, the mismatched instruments caused a delay in syncing the notes, but he got after a little while. Epona heard him play the melody and came up to him, nuzzling his cheek. "Oh, Epona!" Malon giggled at Link's slightly frightened expression. "She's grown fond of you, fairy boy!" He nervously petted the horse on the head.

"Well, that's great, but can we go talk to your dad, now?" Link inquired.

"Sure, but he's probably asleep," Malon shrugged. "I kinda understand why Mr. Ingo is so mad at him, sometimes,"

They headed back to the house, but a cloaked figure strode into the ranch as they arrived. He carried a handbag that was draped across the opposite shoulder from where it hung to keep it on better and his face was half-covered by the hood of his faded cloak. It might have once been black, but it was, now, looking gray. He had a well-used-looking wooden staff in hand. He looked around as Link stopped, standing defensively in front of Malon. Finally, he spotted Link.

"Good afternoon, are you the boy who had an audience with Princess Zelda earlier?" he asked in a relatively polite manner.

"Maybe, but who are you?" Link asked. "I haven't seen you, before,"

"Oh, yes, where are my manners?" the man threw back his hood to reveal a weather-beaten face, keen red eyes, and long, flowing blond hair that reached the middle of his shoulders and was tied by an aged cloth band. "I am Lucius, a scholar who is studying the legends of Hyrule. Presently, I have taken an interest in the Sacred Stones and the Triforce. A rather obscure tale, to be sure, but one that a knowledge seeker, like myself, cannot let alone," Link and Navi didn't relent in their distrustful stares. "I was, earlier, in the Castle Library, studying what tomes that could be found there, and what did I hear, but a secret tale of the Spiritual Stones and the Triforce, told to you by, no less, Princess Zelda, herself. Naturally, I was intrigued, for I had not heard this, before, and then I heard that you were going to search for these stones and the treasure that they led to. I'm afraid I must insist on your allowing me to accompany you on such an interesting quest into the very fabrics of legend of this great land. I know much lore that you may not and have many tomes that can tell of the ancient peoples and creatures that you will, undoubtedly, encounter, should you live long enough,"

"Well, I don't like the looks of this guy, Link," Navi said, at once. "He has a weird vibe and is too nosy for my taste. He stalked us here, by the look of it, but I don't think that it was to help us,"

"I suppose this 'vibe' that you speak of are my sorcerous powers," Lucius replied calmly. "There are few in this world that wield magic, but those that can control the latent energies of the goddesses that surges through the land can call upon it for good or ill,"

"Ganondorf has sorcerous powers too," Link finally spoke up. "And we know that he's no good. Can you prove that you are?" Lucius shrugged.

"Good or ill, that is a matter of perception," he responded. "At present, our goals coincide and I have no reason to harm you or put ill your quest,"

"But you might when the quest is done?" Navi finished with a frown.

"Who knows? One can never know what they will do until they come to the situation and must choose," the mage answered enigmatically. "My magic may, very well, become invaluable on a journey, I have the ability to heal and to destroy, but, if you will not accept my help, then I will proceed independently. I need to know the truth of the legends,"

"Fine, I guess you can come," Link sighed.

"Link!" Navi objected.

"He's not going to stop hounding us until we agree and he doesn't seem like too bad a person," the boy shrugged, turning back to Malon. "Well, let's go talk to your dad,"

"He should be fixing lunch around now, if he's gotten up yet," Malon replied as she and Link headed inside. "You three are welcome to dine with us, you know,"

"Sounds good to me," Link agreed gladly. "All I've had is stale cram and old water for a snack, a couple of hours ago," Navi looked suspiciously at Lucius and he looked back pensively, for a moment, before joining Link and Malon in entering the house. The fairy quickly followed.

* * *

><p>They were met by the aroma of frying beef, boiling carrots, and Lon Lon Milk.<p>

"We have guests, dad!" Malon called. Talon turned from his cooking and looked at the boy, fairy, and mage before looking to his daughter.

"Well, tarnation, lucky I fix a lot of food, anyway!" he exclaimed. "Make yourselves at home!" He turned back to the stove, pulling a few more plates out of a nearby cabinet as he did so.

"By the way, I never got your names," Lucius noted as they sat down at the table. Malon went to fetch some extra chairs from upstairs.

"I'm Link, and that's Navi," Link replied. "She's Malon and he's Talon,"

"And I'm the hardworking Ingo!" a lanky man in overalls interjected, twitching his large mustache, as he came in the door. "Who are these weirdoes?"

"They're guests, Mr. Ingo," Malon responded, coming downstairs with two chairs. "Please don't call them names,"

"Right, right, sorry," he grumbled, not sounding at all sorry, taking a chair and plopping down in it. Talon came over to the table and began setting cups of milk and plates of food in front of the others. Malon quickly hastened to help him. "I'm surprised that you got up to cook, today," Ingo shot at Talon. "Saving up energy all the time must make miracles possible,"

"Hey, I do plenty around here," Talon objected as he sat down.

"Like what?" Ingo retorted.

"Pay the taxes," the portly rancher replied.

"You made me ride to Castle Town and do that!" Ingo snapped.

"Oh, yeah…" Talon admitted with a pensive look.

"So what quest has the princess got you on?" Malon asked Link, trying to shove Ingo and Talon's conversation aside.

"Well, I can't really say much, but I've got to go get something from the Gorons next," he scratched his head.

"I've heard that Death Mountain is dangerous," the rancher girl warned. "It's an active volcano!"

"Volcano?" Link repeated.

"It's a mountain that periodically spews out molten rock and is filled with lava," Lucius interjected. "Of course, Death Mountain erupts but not so badly that no one can get near it," He looked over Link's wooden shield and tattered tunic. "Speaking of which, I think that you need to get some better gear,"

"What? Why?" Link looked down. "Okay, I might need new clothes, but what's wrong with my sword and shield?"

"Link, as much as I hate to agree with him, that shield will burn up in a volcano," Navi commented.

"And that blade of yours isn't the keenest available, I'm sure," Lucius added. "We need to head back to Castle Town before sundown and buy some new equipment,"

"Well, I'd like to, but I'm broke," Link said apologetically.

"Not to worry, I receive research grants from the castle, from time to time," the mage explained. "I can, likely, afford to buy new equipment,"

"Don't you need new stuff, too?" Navi suggested with a hint of scorn. The mage looked over his tattered robes and battered staff.

"It couldn't hurt," he admitted.

"If you're heading to town, I can take you," Talon interjected, finally breaking off his 'conversation' with Ingo. "We need to deliver some milk, anyway," He looked at Ingo. "You've loaded the wagon and hitched the team, right?" Ingo mumbled something in the negative and left with haste.

"I'll see you some other time!" Malon said cheerfully as she gathered up the plates and cups. "Don't stay out too late, dad!" She gave him a warning look.

"Don't worry, darlin', I'll be back prompt!" he assured her before hurrying out.

"It's around 03:30," Lucius informed them, putting away a pocket watch. "That cart should be faster than walking so we should get there in about an hour or so,"

"I've never been on a cart before," Link admitted. "I wonder how it is,"

"Bumpy," Lucius said shortly, leaving the house too.

"Why are you letting that guy come with us?" Navi hissed in Link's ear.

"Why not?" Link shrugged. "He could be helpful and he's paying for stuff,"

"That reminds me," Malon came over and handed him a couple of corked bottles of milk and some packaged meats, nuts, and carrots. "I'll let you have this as repayment for finding dad at the castle, but you have to pay, next time, or we'll go out of business,"

"Yeah, thanks," Link stowed the supplies away. "I'll pay next time, even if I have to go fight monsters all night for the money,"

"How did you do that?" Malon asked, surprised.

"What?" Link tilted his head, confused.

"You put all of that in that small bag, but it doesn't even look that full," Malon explained.

"Oh, that, well, it's a magical fairy bag," Link responded. "Even I don't know how it works,"

"Oh…" she giggled. "That's neat!"

"Link! Are you coming?" Lucius called from outside.

"Oh, sounds like they're ready," Malon pointed out. "Please come back sometime!"

"I will, don't worry," Link flashed one of his cheesy grins and he and Navi headed out the door.

* * *

><p>"It's about time," Talon said, perched on the front of the wagon and holding the reins of two brown horses. "Get in the back with your friend and we'll be off," Link climbed up on the front and stepped into the back, where Lucius was sitting, leaning against the side, next to several sealed milk canisters that were tied into place, hood up. Link sat down across from him, but to the side a bit so that they had leg room.<p>

"All ready?" Talon glanced back. "Okay, hiyah!" He cracked the reins and they were off at a decent, yet bumpy, pace.

"Having fun?" Lucius asked after a while, his mouth turned upwards a little under his hood, as he and Link were jostled around.

"Still better than walking," the boy said, remembering his first trip across the field.

"As one that has spent many a year on foot, I know what you mean," the mage nodded. He didn't elaborate any more.

"Where are you from?" Navi asked, floating in front of him. He ignored her and, instead, looked out the back of the wagon, watching the ranch shrink. "Hey!"

"Leave him alone, Navi," Link articulated. "He doesn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to,"

"But I want some info on him," Navi whispered as she flew next to Link's ear. He sighed and decided not to reply.

* * *

><p>After about an hour, they rolled past Steve.<p>

"Hey, Talon! Heading for the Milk Bar, again?" the guard asked.

"Yep!" Talon answered. "Gonna drop some friends off at the Bazaar, first, though,"

"Anybody I know?" Steve queried.

"Might've seen 'em in passing, but I'm getting sidetracked. See ya later!" Talon spurred the horses onward. The crowds parted a little as the wagon rolled into the market square and stopped. "Here we are, the Bazaar is right over there," Talon said, pointing to the large shop with the picture of a bearded guy on the sign, as they disembarked.

"Thanks for the ride," Link verbalized.

"No problem, now I've got to get movin' before Malon thinks I dozed off, again," he spurred the horses on and the cart disappeared into the back alleys.

"What's a Milk Bar?" the boy asked Lucius as they headed for the Bazaar.

"It's an adult watering hole," the mage replied. "The milk there has some, shall we say, _unique _properties to it that children wouldn't appreciate,"

"Okay, I guess I get it…" Link said, puzzled.

* * *

><p>"Hey, welcome!" a fat, hairy, shirtless bearded guy greeted them gruffly from behind the counter. "If you need equipment, ammunition, or anything short of medicine, here's the place. Medicine is next door, by the way,"<p>

"Hello, my companion and I are looking for the latest equipment," Lucius spoke clearly. "May we see what you have?"

"Hmm…okay, so the kid wears tunics…uses a dagger and shield," the guy stomped into the back room and came back with a metal buckler that had the Hylian crest on it and was painted with the color scheme of the Hylian shield that was on one of the main display shelves behind the counter. He also put down a dagger in a leather sheath. Its hilt had a blue, metal finger grip and a broad, rectangular hand guard. He also put down a tunic, much similar to his green one, but it was made of brown leather and padded against attack. "I also recommend that you get some new boots," he put some leather boots on the counter, as well. "Those that you're wearing look like they won't last on long trips on foot,"

"Here," Lucius picked up all the equipment and deposited it in Link's hands, nearly knocking him over. "Go try it on,"

"Fitting room's over there," the shopkeeper pointed to a tall on the right side of the shop. Link staggered over to the room and drew the curtain.

"So, how much will all that run?" the mage asked. The shopkeeper tallied it all up on a piece of paper.

"400 rupees," he said, finally. Lucius's eyebrows rose, but he pulled out two silver rupees.

"Here," the mage said. "Now, do you have anything for me?" The shopkeeper deposited the money in his till.

"Robes, staff…I think I do," he headed back into the back room again.

"This stuff is kinda uncomfortable," Link complained, coming out of the changing room in his new outfit. The tunic had come with a leather-padded version of his had, oddly enough.

"Well, it's armor, it's supposed to protect you, not be comfortable," Lucius replied.

"It smells weird," Navi interjected, wrinkling her nose.

"You'll get used to it," the mage assured them, turning to see what the shopkeeper had for him.

"Robe with leather padding, and a metal staff," the guy informed Lucius. "155 rupees," The mage put down an orange rupee, a purple rupee, and a blue rupee before picking the robe and staff up and going to the changing room.

"How come he doesn't need new boots?" Link asked, wiggling his toes in the more comfortable, despite being stiff and new, boots.

"He has a pair of those, already, and they look like they're in good condition," the shopkeeper grunted. Lucius emerged in the new robe, just then, holding his new staff.

"Here," he handed his old robe and staff to Link. "Stow those away, will you?" Link stuffed them in his satchel, grumbling about having things stuffed in his hands.

"Thank you for your services," Lucius said courteously to the shopkeeper.

"Any time," the man replied. "Come again!"

* * *

><p>"This outfit is hot and stiff," Link complained as they stood outside the Bazaar.<p>

"It's leather, it will, eventually, stretch to fit better," the mage reassured him. "Now, let's go pick up some medicine,"

"You mean those bitter powders and liquids that the Know-It-All Brother in charge of medicine mixes up?" Link queried.

"Well, similar enough," Lucius shrugged. "Although I believe that it is a young woman that runs the medicine shop, here,"

"How much money does he have?" Navi muttered, following them into the shop that had a cauldron, with a spoon in it, on the sign.

* * *

><p>"Welcome!" the woman behind the counter greeted as they entered. "What can I help you with?"<p>

"I would like four vials of red potion and four of green," Lucius ordered.

"That will be 400 rupees," the woman said, putting the vials on the counter. Lucius forked over eight purple rupees and pulled a small, wooden chest out of his handbag.

"What is that?" Link asked with interest.

"An enchanted medicine chest," the mage explained, carefully putting the vials into the padded slots in the chest. "It can withstand everything short of something that could utterly destroy the very ground we stand on," He closed the chest and stowed it away. He, then, pulled out his watch again. "It's 05:00, we may not have enough time to reach Kakariko before dusk," He sighed and put the watch away. "I guess that we will have to stay at an inn,"

* * *

><p>"Over there," Lucius pointed to their left, past the Bazaar and the slowly dissipating crowd that was around the stand. Link and Navi peered at the sign and door that could be seen.<p>

"Inn," Link read. "What's an inn?"

"It's a place that you pay to stay for the night," Navi interjected before Lucius could speak. "The Deku Tree mentioned it, one time,"

"Let's go, then," the mage led the way into the building. It was like most of the buildings around town, but had a staircase next to the front desk.

"Hello," a guy with a mustache said. "Are you checking in?"

"Yes, a room for two, if you don't mind," Lucius replied at once.

"60 rupees," the guy said, holding out a hand. The mage dropped a purple and a yellow rupee into it. The guy dropped the money into the till and handed them a key with a 2 tag on it. "Room 2, go down the hall to the right, second door on the left. Have a good night,"

"This is it," Lucius articulated, stopping in front of a door with a hand-crafted 2 on it. He put the key in the lock and turned. There was a click and the door opened with a turn of the knob. Link looked around the room as they entered. It had two twin-sized beds, a foot apart, on one side of the room, and a washtub, complete with curtain, on the other. The toilet was in the opposite corner from the washtub, also with curtain. "It's not much, as this is an inexpensive inn, but this will do for the night,"

"Well, at least I'll be able to bathe," Link said optimistically. "I haven't bathed for a while, since I was so busy traveling,"

"Well, while you're doing that, I'll go get some food," the mage left and closed the door.

"Navi, go do something else while I bathe," Link told the fairy when she gave no sign of leaving his side, even though he was already filling the tub with water from the bucket that was nearby.

"Oh, I forgot. Kokiris are vain and don't like people seeing them bare," the fairy nodded, flying over and sitting on one of the beds.

"Uh…" Link considered correcting her, but shook his head, instead, and drew the curtain.

* * *

><p>Lucius returned around the time that Link got redressed.<p>

"The fare here isn't great, but I got some bread, cheese, and water," he put down a jug, a loaf of bread, and half a round of cheese. "My funds are getting low, but I'll get more in a week, so no worries,"

After dinner, they laid down in their beds, although Link decided to take off some of his armor so that he could relax. It didn't take long, though for him to drop off to sleep. Lucius looked over at the boy and the sleeping fairy. Sure, Navi didn't really trust him, but, at least, he was now with someone that could help him solve the mystery of the stones. Turning over, he closed his eyes and drifted off, as well.

* * *

><p><strong>It seems that Navi is getting usurped as the hint and info person and what is Lucius really up to? Is he really an ally or is he hiding more than you think? R&amp;R, etc.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, I'm tired and my wrists and back hurt, but here's chapter 5. I own nothing!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Death Mountain, Home of the Gorons <strong>

Link was woken up the next morning by a sharp prod to his side. Panicking, he jumped up, sword at the ready.

"Navi, we're under attack!" he shouted. She buzzed out of his hat and started looking for enemies to identify. She relaxed, though, when the situation sunk in.

"It's just Lucius, dummy!" she smacked him in the head.

"Ow!" he grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Good morning to you too," the mage said with the barest trace of sarcasm, noting a minute scratch on his new staff, the result of blocking Link's flailing slash. He walked over to the table, where food and milk were already set out. "It is currently 08:36, so get up and eat, we're losing daylight," Mumbling, the boy dragged himself from bed and pulled his uncomfortable new armor back over his bare torso before trudging over to the table. Lucius, it appeared, had already eaten, so he simply stood patiently while Navi and Link ate.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, they packed up and returned to the front desk. The mustached guy yawned as Lucius returned the room key.<p>

"Thank you for staying with us and come back really soon…" he muttered his little obligatory speech as they exited the front door.

Crowds were already starting to form at the stands as they stepped out into the morning air.

"All right, if we make good time, we should reach Kakariko around noon," the mage predicted, looking at his pocket watch and a map that he had with him. They set off after this.

"That's good," Link replied, rubbing his eyes. "I don't want to spend the night outside,"

"You're from the forest, don't you always sleep outside?" Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"No, we have houses," the boy informed him.

"I see," he said as they passed by Steve.

"Hey, kid! Get into the castle?" he inquired of Link, leaning on his spear.

"Yep, and the princess sent me on a quest!" Link answered proudly. Steve broke out laughing. "Hey! I'm not joking!"

"He has to gather some artifacts for her highness," Lucius interjected calmly. "It's important for reasons that we aren't allowed to discuss,"

"Well," Steve wiped a tear from his eye as he calmed down a little. "I won't hold you up," Link stalked off across the drawbridge immediately, leaving Lucius and Navi to follow.

* * *

><p>"That guy is such a jerk!" the boy exclaimed.<p>

"Well, for a trained soldier, it's hard to imagine a boy of your age, armed as you are, to be on a serious adventure," Lucius shrugged. "Don't let it bother you," No reply was forthcoming.

They progressed along the dirt path as it diverged from the drawbridge and went in three directions. Taking the path that led towards Death Mountain, obvious on the horizon, they came to a river that flowed into Castle Town, via a grate. It was bridged by a stone bridge with handrails, allowing easy crossing.

"This river flows from the Zora's Domain, Zora City, all the way through Hyrule," Lucius informed the still-steamed boy and his fairy. "It all eventually ends up in Lake Hylia, where it flows back to Zora's Domain,"

"So, in other words, the water is in a continuous loop," Navi said interestedly.

"Yes," Lucius nodded. "And it is likely that the Zora's will be the next stop on our list, but let's worry about the Gorons, first,"

* * *

><p>Link was a bit calmer as they finally reached the top of the stairs that led up to Kakariko Village. It was hard to be angry when you were winded from extensive climbing in hot leather armor.<p>

"Ding, dong! I'm a clock soldier of Kakariko!" the soldier in charge of the village gates shouted from atop the gatehouse. Link jumped a couple of feet in the air. "The current time is 12:04,"

"Yeah," Link gasped, now even more winded. "Great," The soldier stared for a few seconds.

"Did you know that Zelda's attendant, the great Impa, opened this village to the common people?" he asked.

"Why, yes, it's all in _The Common History of Hyrule_," Lucius responded with a nod.

"Well, let me tell you that this village won't always be small," the guard confided. "One day it'll be as lively as Hyrule Castle Town! Oh, yes, it will!"

"How do we get to Death Mountain?" Navi called up to the soldier. He assumed that it was Link that had spoken.

"Just go in the gate and up the stairs to the north end of the village," the soldier explained. "Norris is keeping the gate locked, since you need the King's permission to go up there,"

"Right, thanks," Link called, heading through the open gate with the others.

Kakariko was fairly lively already, Link discovered, as he was nearly run over by a guy as he ran by with his arms full of boards.

"Come on, you lazy good-for-nothings!" a grumpy bald guy with a white mustache shouted from near a partially-constructed building. "Get that lumber over here!"

"People are always in a hurry," Link complained.

"Well, you best learn how to dodge them or you won't make it in battle," Lucius suggested placidly. "Now, do you want to stop for a meal here or wait until we're up on the mountain?"

"If you can find a place where we won't get run over, be my guest," Link agreed. So they sat down under a nearby tree and had a little picnic.

"I still can't believe how good cheese is," Navi said through a mouthful of the substance.

"Well, it's always been a mystery how food can taste good when the process of making it so contradicts it," the mage commented, taking a bite of bread.

"How is it made, anyway?" Link inquired with a tilt of the head.

"If I told you, you wouldn't eat it," Lucius warned with a small smile. He stood up as he finished his bread, signaling the other two to follow the example. Link stopped short as a carpenter went dashing by, again, and they progressed to one of the stone staircases that led to the next level up.

"There's an inn," Navi pointed out the nearby building. "We may need to stay there, some time,"

"Maybe, but I think we may reach the Goron City before that," Lucius answered.

"Something tells me I'm going to get sick of climbing, very fast," Link added as they ascended the stairs to the second level. This level had a couple of chickens running around and a watch tower, but nothing else of interest. Heading up another little flight of stairs, they saw two shops across from one another, but neither seemed to have an 'open' sign.

"I'd say that they're not occupied yet," Lucius deduced. "Not surprising, as this village wouldn't have a lot of clientele,"

"Clien-what?" Link gave him a puzzled look.

"People that want to buy things," the mage clarified as they headed up the last little flight. Here, the ground began to turn rocky, and there was a large, metal, barred fence blocking the path, its hinges set in a stone gateway.

"Stop!" a soldier, presumably the aforementioned Norris, called, coming out of the gatehouse with spear in hand. "You cannot pass here without a Royal Decree! Can't you read?" he pointed at the nearby sign that said just what he had said.

"But the princess said that I could go up the mountain!" Link objected. "Here!" he forced the princess's stationary at Norris. He took it and shook it open.

"Hmm…this is surely Princess Zelda's handwriting!" he muttered. "It says 'This is Link. He is under my orders to save Hyrule.'," Norris burst out laughing, shoving the letter back at Link. "What kind of funny game has our Princess come up with now?"

"Hey! This is important, now let us through!" Link shouted indignantly, his face slightly red.

"I also have a Scholar's Permit," Lucius held out an official piece of paper. "I am allowed through as well,"

"Okay, okay," Norris relented, heading back to the guardhouse. "You can go now…just be careful, Mr. Hero!" He sunk back into uncontrollable laughter as he unlocked the winch and turned it to open the gate. Link, Lucius, and Navi strode forward through the gate. It closed, promptly, behind them. They glanced back as Norris came into view.

"I can't leave it open all the time," he explained through the gate, managing to master his laughter, for the time being. "Call when you want back through," They turned to leave, again, but he continued. "By the way, have you been to the Happy Mask Shop that just opened in the Hyrule Castle Town Market? Everyone is talking about it!" Link just gave him a miffed look. Lucius looked rather blank, and Navi was getting impatient, judging by her huffs. "Long story, short, my little boy pesters me for a popular mask, but I don't have time to go there…I'll pay you if you get me that mask, but don't bother if you don't want to…" He turned and leaned against the stone gateway. "This is my job…" he sighed. Link hurried along before Norris could begin talking again.

* * *

><p>The path began, immediately, to slope up, making the climb a bit more difficult.<p>

"Be careful," Lucius warned. "Tektites live on these paths,"

"Tektites are four-legged monsters that try to jump at you and cut you with their spiky legs and body," Navi reported. "Luckily, they're not very armored, so you can kill them if you can hit them," On cue, a red, one-eyed, four-legged monster jumped from the path ahead. Link barely brought his shield up in time to ward it off.

"Din's Fire!" Lucius shouted, thrusting his staff forward. A fireball exploded from the head of the rod and hit the monster, detonating in a small burst of flame and sending it flying back. Link jumped forward and drove his new dagger into the Tektite's eye, killing it. It collapsed with an odd screech and lie still.

"That was nothing…" Link lied as he pulled his blade free, wincing at the gross green blood on it.

"Says the boy that was scared out of his boots," Navi commented snidely. Link gave her a look.

"But that fireball really caught me off guard," the boy continued. "I almost forgot about killing that thing,"

"It's basic magic," the mage shrugged. "You could probably learn it, too, given some time and effort, but let's save that for another time,"

"Yeah, we need to find the Gorons," Navi agreed. So they continued to the top of the slope and came to a corner. The path beyond had two more Tektites waiting. They noticed the group swiftly and began the lengthy approach. Link readied his sword and shield. The first Tektite finally got close enough to them to attack.

"Din's Fire!" Lucius shouted, firing another fireball. The Tektite was hit in mid-jump and went flipping backwards, but, before Link could attack it as before, the other Tektite caught up and bowled him over, leaving a gash up the side of his face.

"Watch out!" Navi shouted as it jumped at Lucius next. The mage blocked its body with his staff and jumped away.

"Geyser Shot!" he cried, causing a torrent of water to shoot up under the Tektite and sent it rocketing upward. Link rolled over as the first Tektite tried to ram into his prone form, still getting his arm cut on its leg, and lunging for its belly. It shrieked and fell over. The other Tektite returned from its aerial journey and crashed, motionless, on the ground. "Glad that's over," the mage commented, relaxing his stance a bit and heading over to Link.

"Are you okay? You're bleeding a lot!" Navi said worriedly. "You!" she flew over to Lucius. "Give him some of that medicine that you bought!"

"There's no need," the mage said calmly, taking Link's face in hand and looking at the gash on his face and then looking at the boy's arm. Luckily, the armor had taken the hit, having a minor tear to show for the trouble.

"Hey, I'm hurt, here!" Link protested.

"No need!" Navi yelled. "He's bleeding like crazy!"

"The injury isn't that serious," Lucius maintained calmly. "Besides, I can heal this,"

"Since when?" the boy asked skeptically. The mage sighed, deciding not to point out that he had mentioned it before, and put his hand near the cut.

"_O Goddess of wisdom, heal mine allies of their wounds_," he muttered. A light blue light engulfed his hand and covered the cut. The scratch quickly stopped bleeding and the skin merged back together, making it look as though there hadn't been a wound at all. Lucius removed his hand and stepped away a little. "Be more careful, in the future,"

"Hey, I'm new at this, cut me a break," Link grumbled.

"I acknowledge that, but our enemies won't," Lucius warned. "Now, come," He started off up the sloping path, again.

"He has a point, even though I don't want to admit it," Navi stated. Link ignored her and plodded on. It wasn't but a little while later when another Tektite came jumping down from a higher part of the path and almost tackled Lucius. Fortunately for him, he was more aware of his surroundings than Link and dived out of the way, rolling and landing back on his feet. Link charged up the ramp with his sword, but the Tektite dodged his strike and rammed him into a wall.

"Din's Fire!" Lucius nailed the monster with a fireball and sent it into another wall. "Upheave!" He flicked his staff up and a spear of rock shot out of the ground, spearing the Tektite fatally through the gut. Link got up, slightly battered, and saw the Tektites fate.

"Serves it right," he muttered, falling into line as Lucius pressed on. He quickly halted, however, causing Link and Navi to nearly crash into him.

"Why'd you stop?" Link asked.

"Oh, this is why," Navi floated over to the large boulder in front of them.

"This isn't supposed to be here?" Link looked between them.

"No, it's blocking the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern," a new voice said from behind them. They spun to find a brown person with fat lips and tattoos of pointy paw prints on his upper arms. He was rather portly and looked like he had rocks on his back, judging by the rough texture. His crown had a patch of white hair.

"What are you?" Link asked, being rude, unintentionally or no.

"I am one of the Gorons," the man replied, looking bit nonplussed. "I live on this mountain, but we have a problem. This boulder is blocking the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern, as I said, and it is a very important place to us Gorons,"

"Cannot any of you destroy the boulder?" Lucius asked. "I've read that Gorons can split rock with ease,"

"Well, we're too hungry and there are many Dodongos in the cavern, now!" the Goron protested. "On top of that, that man in black armor put that boulder there!" He looked wistfully at the boulder. "If you want to hear more Goron gossip, head up to our city!" he pointed up the trail. "Goron City is just a little way on up the trail. It won't take much longer to get there, even on foot,"

"We might as well," Link shrugged. "The stone is probably there, anyway," He headed on up the slope with the others in tow.

"It sounds like Ganondorf is behind this," Navi said with a frown. "I'll bet that he did this because they wouldn't give him the Spiritual Stone of Fire,"

"I'd wait until we're in the city to talk," Lucius warned as another Tektite bore down on them. Fortunately, a Goron came rolling by and crushed it flat.

"That's gross," Link wrinkled his nose at the pool of green blood oozing out of the corpse as they walked by it and to another area. Apparently, this was a bit of a hub with a path to the city and a slope that led to a series of ledges that, presumably, led higher up the mountain.

"Watch out!" Navi shouted as Lucius shoved him aside in time to avoid another Goron. "Stop staring around and watch your surroundings! We can't always be here to save you!"

"I can handle myself," Link replied obstinately.

"Yeah, that's why you were out cold after fighting Gohma," Navi said scathingly.

"Shut it, lightning bug!" Link snapped.

"Stupid boy!" Navi retorted.

"Knock it off!" Lucius interrupted, firing a fireball past them to explode on a rock outcropping. "It is already 14:32, we need to move,"

"Right…" Link said grudgingly.

"Okay…" Navi agreed.

* * *

><p>The rest of the trip passed in silence as they headed on to a part of the path that didn't have a rock outcropping to serve as a guard rail to keep them from falling into the canyon nearby. Naturally, they stuck to the wall to avoid the risk and to not get hit by passerby, aka rolling Gorons.<p>

"That must be it," Lucius said, at last, pointing to a large opening in the rock wall ahead. A rope with cloths that bore Goron symbols hanged over the door, so it was a good guess that it led to the Goron City.

"Finally!" Link went racing in.

"Wait!" Lucius called.

"Ahh!" Link shouted. The mage and fairy found him pulling himself up from the ledge that he had fallen off of from his sudden stop.

"Never charge into an unknown place," Lucius cautioned him.

"How was I supposed to know that they built this place with a bunch of different levels and no rails to keep you from falling?" Link objected.

"We don't need to worry about falling, it doesn't hurt us…oh…" a nearby Goron moaned, clutching his stomach. "I'm so hungry…we're all in danger of extinction because we can't get to our quarry in the Dodongo's Cavern,"

"Can't you just eat other rocks?" Link asked, looking around at the city that was made of rock. "The whole mountain is made of rock,"

"The most delicious and nutritious rocks around are found in the Dodongo's Cavern!" the Goron balked. "We've become such gourmets that we can't stand to eat rocks from anywhere else!"

"That's illogical," Lucius shook his head. "If you're hungry, you eat, even if you don't like the food," The Goron was already trudging off, though, to look for somewhere else to mope. The mage sighed. "At any rate, let's find their leader. He should have the stone, but I doubt that he'll want to give it to us in this crisis,"

"Well, I hope there's some stairs," Navi said. "I don't think that it's a good idea to jump from here,"

"The stairs are over there," Lucius pointed to a couple of wooden poles with colored striped painted around their tops. "I suppose that they lead to the bottom,"

"Not with our luck," Link predicted grimly, as they walked over and began the winding descent. "See?" He said as they emerged a level down. A rumbling interrupted him before he could say more. "What's that?" he turned and saw a giant Goron rolling his way. "Oh, crap!" he and Lucius jumped back into the stairwell as the Goron passed by. "That is a major hazard!" he exclaimed as they came back out onto the path.

"I'm not arguing with you," Lucius agreed. "Let's head over there," he pointed at another staircase.

Finally, they arrived at the bottom of the city. A Goron greeted them immediately.

"Hello, humans," he said cheerfully, despite his hunger.

"Do you know where your leader is?" Navi questioned.

"Oh, yeah, Big Brother is in his room," the Goron informed them, pointing past the giant stone jar that was in the middle of the bottom level. "He shut himself up in there and said that he was waiting for the Royal Family's messenger,"

"Thanks," Lucius nodded to him as Link was already heading over. He stopped on the carpet that was in front of the giant stone door, which had a pointy paw print engraved on it.

"This carpet is pretty soft," he noted.

"It's probably a kind gesture for guests of Big Brother," Navi suggested.

"Yes, but he only wants to see the Royal Messenger," Lucius reminded them. "Even if you are one, you'll need to prove it,"

"Do you think that Zelda's Lullaby would do it?" Link looked at him.

"It wouldn't hurt to try," the mage shrugged. Link dug in his Fairy Satchel and pulled out his ocarina.

"Here goes," he played the first stanza of the song. Almost immediately, the door began to slide open with the sound of a clanking chain. "It actually worked!"

"Enter, Royal Messenger!" a gruff voice called. They quickly obeyed and strode in to find a larger Goron than the others. He was more muscular and had a head of hair that stood out in the back like stalagmites. "What the heck?" he exclaimed when he saw Link. "The messenger is just a little kid?"

"Well, yes, actually," Lucius admitted. "I'm just a companion, of sorts,"

"Has Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons, really lost so much status to be treated like this by his Sworn Brother, the King?" the Goron boss grumbled, barring his teeth. "Now I'm _really _angry! Get out of my face, now!" He threw a jar at Link, who barely ducked it.

"Hey! Why are you so mad? I know that your people are starving and so on, but you don't have to throw stuff at me!"

"Famine and a bad crop of bomb flowers are the perfect reason to be rude to a kid like you!" Darunia growled. "But this is a Goron problem. We don't need any help from strangers!" With that, he promptly shoved them out and locked the door again.

* * *

><p>"Well, that was a bust," Navi said icily. "Now what?"<p>

"If only we had a way to calm him down…" Lucius said contemplatively.

"Like what? It's not like he'll start dancing or something if we play him a catchy tune," Link commented.

"Hey!" Saria's fairy came flying over. "Saria wants to see you, Link! Come to the Sacred Forest Meadow!"

"How did you get here?" Navi inquired. "This place is miles from the forest,"

"There's a path on the third level that leads there, but it's blocked by rocks," Saria's fairy explained. "You'll have to blow up the bomb flowers near it to open the path,"

"No problem. My fire can do that," Lucius volunteered. "Can you lead us there?"

"Sure!" Saria's fairy agreed, flying up to the third level. "Come up to where I am!"

"Great, more climbing," Link shook his head but resignedly followed Lucius back to the stairs.

* * *

><p>"This is incredible!" Navi exclaimed as they exited the stone passage and found themselves in the Lost Woods. "I never knew that the Lost Woods linked to Death Mountain,"<p>

"So this is where you lived?" Lucius asked Link, looking around. "I don't see any houses,"

"No, I lived in Kokiri Forest, this is the Lost Woods, which is nearby," the boy explained. "Anyway, let's hurry up and go see Saria. I haven't seen her in a while,"

"It's only been a couple of days," Navi pointed out.

"That's way too long for best friends," Link explained. "Take us to Saria…uh…Saria's fairy,"

"I'm Mira, now follow me," she flew off over the underbrush, zigzagging between trees, with the party in hot pursuit.

* * *

><p>"Slow down!" Link called after a good half an hour of this. Mira stopped ahead.<p>

"This is it!" she informed them from the entrance to what looked like a maze of stone walls. They weren't too tall, but they were tall enough to force one to do the maze instead of climbing to the top. "These paths are full of Mad Scrubs, Deku Scrubs that have black hearts, so be careful," She flew off over the maze.

"Hey!" Link yelled after her, but she was gone.

"Well, we'll have to manage without her," Lucius stated. "The day is waning, so we should hurry,"

"These woods can be scary for non-fairies at night," Navi warned.

"Okay, I get the hint," Link stepped into the maze, jumping back immediately as several Deku Nuts flew by at high speed. "That complicates things,"

"Your shield can still block those, you know," Navi suggested.

"I know," the boy said, strafing out with his shield out. One of the nuts bounced off, but the other two nailed him in the shins. Buckling down to a crouching position, Link blocked a couple more shots before Lucius finally stepped in and blasted the Mad Scrub with a fireball, causing it to burn up while screaming shrilly. "I think my shins are broken," Link moaned as he stood gingerly.

"No, just bruised," Lucius reported, holding his staff in front of them and healing the bruises with the same spell as he had used earlier. "But I hope that you've learned that enemies can aim,"

After that, they took a more cautious approach to navigating the maze by moving more slowly and peeking around corners. This way, they were able to get the drop on many enemies and Link was able to down them with his slingshot from a distance. Finally, they came to a short set of stairs between two pillars. A ladder was across from it, but they decided that they would check it out on the return trip. Three Mad Scrubs were present in the short corridor, for lack of a better word, that led to another short set of stairs between two pillars. Link shot the first one between the eyes, killing it, while Lucius hit the other two with fireballs.

"You two make a good team," Navi complimented.

"If you say so," Lucius replied modestly, hurrying after Link as he went ahead to the clearing. This clearing held a large tree that was next to some broken steps that led into a temple of some sort. It also held a large, octagonal platform with a triforce emblem on it. Saria was sitting on a stump near the broken stairs, playing her tune that she had always played.

"Saria!" Link ran forward and threw his arms around her, picking her up and hugging her.

"Link, calm down!" she laughed as he put her down. "It's only been a couple of days,"

"Well, that's longer than I'd like to be away," he muttered. "Anyway, why did you want to see me if it only been 'a couple of days'?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you some things…" she looked around the area. "This is my secret spot. I feel…this place will be very important for both of us someday." She giggled. "But, on another note, I wanted to teach you my song, so that you can talk to me anytime!"

"Why didn't you teach me that before?" Link whined playfully, pouting for extra effect. Lucius chuckled slightly and decided to leave the scene for a moment.

"Well, you just ran off and, well…I forgot!" Saria admitted. "Anyway, play along with me," She played her tune again. Link, grateful that she was playing the same instrument, copied the song in record time. "Great!" She giggled again. "When you want to hear my voice, play my song. You can talk with me anytime…except while I'm asleep! I'll get mad if you call me, then,"

"Don't worry, I won't," Link promised.

"Well, if that's wrapped up, I must inform you that it is currently 16:59," Lucius interjected, making them both jump. "It is about an hour until sunset and we are in the middle of the woods,"

"That's no problem, we can make it back to Goron City if we hurry," Navi assured them.

"Well, I guess I've got to go, Saria," Link scratched the back of his head. "But I'll call you later, I'll have some adventures to tell you about,"

"Good luck," she smiled, patting his shoulder.

"Come on!" Navi made a 'follow me' gesture and flew off.

"Bye!" Link said hastily, taking off after the fairy with Lucius.

* * *

><p>They arrived back in Goron City just as the wolf howled to signal nightfall.<p>

"So Saria is your best friend, I take it?" Lucius asked as they took a brief breather.

"Yep," Link nodded. "Since I was younger,"

"Hmm…" Navi was thoughtfully looking into the distance during this little exchange. "I wonder if Saria's Song could do something to cheer Darunia up?"

"Maybe not on an ocarina," Lucius replied. "At least, not with just an ocarina," He pulled out a flute. "Perhaps a duet could work,"

"I guess, but can you play the song?" Link looked at the flute. The mage put it to his lips and played the melody perfectly. "No fair! How come you have instant mastery?"

"Talent," he shrugged. "Now, come, let's go see Darunia before he goes to sleep, and, yes, Gorons do sleep,"

Link played Zelda's Lullaby again and the door opened again, but Darunia was still pretty angry.

"What do you want?" he grunted. Link and Lucius pulled out their instruments wordlessly and played an impromptu duet. Immediately, Darunia started dancing to the music. Link was obviously freaked out, judging by his expression, but he managed to just follow his companion's lead and just back away from the flailing limbs. Finally, they stopped and Darunia calmed down. He smiled as he looked them, now. "Hey! What a nice tune! My depression is gone!" He drew himself up and put on a serious face. "I am Darunia, the big boss of the Gorons! Was there something you wanted to ask me about?"

"Yeah, the princess wants us to get the Spiritual Stone of Fire from you," Link answered. "Can we have it?"

"You want it too?" Darunia raised an eyebrow. "I can't just give you the Goron's Ruby just because you asked for it, it's our race's treasure…but, if you want it that badly, go destroy the monsters inside of the Dodongo's Cavern and prove that you're a real man! That way, everybody will be happy again. If you do it, I will give you anything you want, even the Spiritual Stone," He suddenly went over to a nearby stone cabinet and reached inside. "I have something for you," he pulled out a small pair of golden bracelets that had the pointy paw print adorned on the sides. "I'm not really giving you these in return for anything, but take them anyway," He handed the bracelets to Link. "Wearing these, even a little fella like you can pick up a Bomb Flower," Link put the bracelets on and, immediately, felt strength surge through his limbs.

"Thanks, Darunia," he turned to Lucius. "Let's go clear out that cavern,"

"Look who's suddenly enthusiastic about his work," Navi mocked playfully as they left the room.

"Can it," Link said lightly.

"As much as I want to go tearing off to fight ancient creatures as night, we should stay here until morning," Lucius suggested flatly.

"Oh, right," Link scratched his head apologetically. "Do the Gorons have an inn?"

"I don't see one," the mage noted, looking around. "I guess we'll just have to sleep down here," he went over to an out-of-the-way space of the wall.

"You're kidding," the boy responded unhappily.

"No," the mage answered flatly.

"Darn," Link muttered, finding a spot of his own and sitting down.

"Good night," Lucius called across the room.

"Whatever," Link muttered. "Good night, Navi," A quiet snoring under his cap was the only reply.

* * *

><p><strong>And I'm outta here! R&amp;R and all that good stuff.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**And here is another chapter where Link and friends risk certain death in a dungeon and form bonds of companionship (with some minor humor involved). I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Goron's Ruby and The Dodongo's Cavern<strong>

"…ink! Link!" Navi's voice permeated through his unconsciousness. "Wake up! That mage guy already went up to the exit, you lazy boy!" She rammed him in the head.

"Ow…" he grumbled, sitting up on the hard floor and rubbing his sore neck. "What's the hurry, we've got all day,"

"If it's anything like the Great Deku Tree, it could take all day!" the fairy reprimanded. "Get your butt up and let's go meet the mage!"

"So you still don't trust him enough to call him by name?" the boy groaned, getting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Nope," Navi replied immediately. "He seems like he wants to help, but it could be an elaborate scheme," Link yawned and began to make his way over to the stairs that led to the upper level.

"Well, I'd rather be deceived than never trust someone," he said simply. Navi stopped and stared after him, surprised to hear something so philosophical out of him. After a moment, she realized that she was falling behind and hurried to catch up.

"It's about time," Lucius was standing outside the city gates, holding some bread and cheese. "Here," he shoved the food at Link. "It's already 09:19, so we've already lost three hours,"

"You could've woken me up," Link grumbled through a mouthful of food.

"I tried, but gave up after the third attempt," the mage responded casually. "Now, let's contemplate how to get into the cavern,"

"We'll have to destroy the boulder that's in the way," Navi offered smartly. "I think that a Bomb Flower would do it,"

"But we didn't see any near the cavern," Link noted. "Could we just carry one down there?"

"We could, but it would probably explode in transit and take off your hands," Lucius explained, causing the other two to flinch. "No, our best bet is to find one that we can pluck and throw at the boulder," He pointed over at an alcove that was barely visible from their current location. "I say that we look over there,"

"Okay, you're, apparently, the smart one," Link agreed. So they made the walk over and found a Goron sitting, curled up, next to a Bomb Flower that was in a fence enclosure. He sat up as they approached.

"Hello, I'm shading this Bomb Flower so that it won't shrivel up," he informed them.

"We need to use this to unblock the Dodongo's Cavern," Lucius elucidated. "May we use this Bomb Flower to do it?"

"Oh, sure, it grows back in a few hours, anyway," the Goron agreed. "You might need some Goron Bracelets to pull it up, though, they're pretty ingrained in the ground,"

"I guess that means that you're up, Link," Navi commented.

"Okay…" the boy went over to the plant and began to cautiously pull it out of the ground. Upon its separation with the rocky ground, a wick-like stamen on top of the flower's crown-like leaves ignited. "Oh, crap!" He chucked it over the fence. There was a space of quiet. Lucius went over to the fence and peered over cautiously. He drew back as an explosion sounded.

"That got it," he reported. "Let's make our way down there,"

"More walking…" Link grumbled, falling into line behind the others.

"Don't complain, Mr. Hero!" Navi teased. "It's your fate, like the owl said,"

"Shut it," the boy muttered.

"Din's Fire!" Lucius hit the waiting Tektite with a fireball before it could even notice them, this time. "Upheave!" It was finished by a shard of rock that shot up from under it.

"Remind me to never get you mad," Link remarked, looking at the painful condition of the monster.

"Oh, now we can enter the cavern," the Goron that they had spoken, with the previous day, said, interrupting their conversation. "You're so smart!"

"Well, there won't be much reason to go in there, just yet," Link commented, scratching his head modestly. "We still need to clear out those Dodongos,"

"Save the patting yourself on the back for after the cavern," Lucius reprimanded lightly, heading into the long tunnel.

"Here we go," Link said with air of resignation, stepping into the gloom with Navi.

It was almost completely dark inside. The main source of light was the faint radiance that Navi gave off and a small glow that was coming from the head of Lucius's staff. They appeared to be in a small lobby of sorts and there wasn't an obvious way forward.

"This wall looks impassible," Navi commented, floating next to the different-looking space of wall that she was referring to. "But it's made of dirt…maybe you can destroy it with a Bomb Flower!"

"There's one!" Link ran over to one of the two Bomb Flowers that were situated in the small entrance room. He pulled it up and the wick started burning. "Move! Move!" He hurried over to the dirt wall and dropped the flower before running clear with the others. There was a burst and a flash that sent dirt and clay flying, allowing them to see into the dimly lit chamber beyond. They cautiously entered this much larger room.

"This room is very tall," Lucius observed, squinting at the ceiling. "And there are many Keese, so be careful,"

"Keese have a strategy very similar to the Guays," Navi reported. "Just cut or shoot them as they come, any you'll be fine, but don't use fire on them, or you'll be sorry," Link was about to ask why when several came swooping in. They all got out of the way and Link's blade flashed as he cut one down.

"Farore's Wind!" Lucius shouted, swinging his staff and making a wave of cutting air fly through several of the bats. Link held up his shield as a Keese charged at him, forcing it to avert its course and fly at Navi. A quick dagger slash stopped that, though.

"Whew…" Link wiped his forehead. "That was startling,"

"Well, the dark is another challenge," Navi said matter-of-factly, covering the fact that she didn't like having a larger-than-her bat try to attack her. "We'll just have to be careful," Lucius was already cautiously walking forward, traversing a seemingly wooden bridge. He stopped at the edge and peered down.

"There's magma in here, but it looks mostly cooled," he mentioned as Link and Navi came up to him. "That won't stop it from hurting us, though, so watch your step,"

"Look!" Navi pointed to a nearby pillar of stone that was sticking out of the lava. "We can use this to cross,"

"Yes, but to what?" Lucius raised his staff. "Let's see," He fired a ball of energy from his staff. It flew to the very center of the room and released a flare that made all the shadows flee. Link shielded his eyes until it began to fade a little. "Look!" He gestured past the rotating, one-eyed statue that was on the central platform. Beheld by the light, they saw a massive skull of some long-dead creature. The mouth was firmly shut.

"So, basically, that way's a dead end?" Link concluded as the dark closed back in.

"Maybe…" Lucius mused. "Either way, we can't get anywhere, that way,"

"It looks like the central platform is the only way to get to the rest of the room, though," Navi pointed out, having observed the room while it was lit. "There's an open passage on the right side of the room,"

"All right, so we'll need to jump onto the central platform and then over to that part of the room," Lucius concluded.

"But what about that statue-thing?" Link asked. "I don't think a sword can hurt that,"

"Only explosives can hurt a Beamos," Navi answered. "The ones in the lobby are too far away, though…"

"We'll just have to run for it," the mage said, jumping over to the pillar and then to the platform. The Beamos gave a loud hiss as it saw him and started firing a blue beam at him. "Go!" He fired a fireball at its eye, blinding and stunning it, as Link jumped over and then ran over to the other edge. There was another pillar there that allowed him to reach the right side ledge. Lucius ran as the Beamos reawakened and began firing again and landed next to Link, unscathed. "All right, Navi, lead the way," he nodded to the fairy.

"Okay!" she started floating ahead, leading them into the gloom, but stopped after a short while. "Another Beamos!"

"I'll get it," Link declared, striding over to a nearby Bomb Flower and pulling it up. "Take this!" he ran at the Beamos and hurled the explosive plant before retreating to avoid the explosion. The Beamos went up in smoke, head flying, and then it struck the ground with a second explosion. "It tries to take you out with it," The boy noted.

So they continued on to the open route and proceeded slowly into the darkness. Lucius increased the intensity of his staff's glow to compensate for the complete lack of lighting. The next room appeared to be a tunnel of some sort, with a high ceiling.

"Do you hear something?" Link inquired, looking around for the source of the muffled scuffling noise.

"Those are probably Baby Dodongos," Lucius explained, cutting Navi off and making her glare at him. "They live underground after hatching and only come up to eat, until they reach adulthood,"

"Look out!" Navi warned as almost a dozen started burrowing out on all sides.

"Be careful, they explode upon death!" the mage warned as he began casting. "Geyser Shot!" An upsurge of water sent two flying into the ceiling and they exploded there, causing some rocks to fall and smash two others as Link was deflecting the bite of one, with his shield. The two exploded as he stabbed this one in the mouth, covering his hand and blade with blood, and he was bowled over by the shockwave.

"Ahh!" he smacked one with the pommel of his blade as it sank its sharp teeth into his armored arm. The leather did little to deflect the attack and his arm felt like it was being punched through with several needles. "Get off!" He stabbed it in the head, forcing a release reflex, and scrambled away before it exploded, taking out several of its mates.

"Run!" Lucius shouted, spearing a couple more with stalagmites. "This is a nesting area!" Link didn't need to be told twice and took off down the hall with Lucius in hot pursuit. More and more Baby Dodongos rose from the ground as they went. Link slashed a couple aside as Lucius blasted more away with wind blades.

Eventually, they came to a ledge and scrambled up it.

"They can't climb, thank goodness," Navi informed them, panting from flying so hard. True enough, the Baby Dodongos bumped at the ledge a few times before giving up and burrowing back underground.

"If those were the babies, I don't want to fight the adults, anymore," Link gasped, leaning against the wall.

"We're already in here, so we'll have to see this through," Lucius stated, breathing a little heavily. "The adults aren't too hard to kill, as they eat anything, including explosives,"

"Sure…" Link huffed dismissively.

After a five minute break, they finally turned to the nearby puzzle; A switch, a doorway with a mechanism that caused bars to block it, a wooden-looking platform in front of the door, and two horned statues.

"A pressure switch, I assume," the mage deduced, walking over to and standing on the square box switch. As expected, the bars receded into the door frame with some accompanying clanking. Lucius grabbed the edge of the platform and hoisted himself up, but the bars fell with a clang, the moment his weight left the switch.

"Maybe we have to weigh it down with one of these statues?" Link suggested.

"That might actually work," Navi agreed, sounding surprised.

"Are you implying that I never know how to do anything?" the boy challenged, turning to the fairy.

"Well, the mage and I are always solving the puzzles, so…" Navi trailed off tauntingly.

"I hate you…" Link grumbled, going over to the nearest statue and pushing on it. Surprisingly, the heavy-looking statue moved with relative ease, though it still took quite a bit of effort, judging by the groaning and huffing exhibited by Link. Finally, the statue pressed down the switch and the bars receded, once again. Lucius waited patiently for Link to catch his breath and climb up onto the platform.

"Don't start with me, I'm still not in shape for this stuff, yet," the boy warned. The mage ignored him and continued through the door and Navi decided not to challenge this statement.

The squeaking of several resting Keese greeted them as they entered another narrow corridor. Lucius greeted them, in return, with a wave of wind while Link sniped the other two with his slingshot. Continuing on, they were met by a familiar red glow.

"This doesn't bode well," the mage noted calmly, looking around at the multitude of raised platforms over faintly-glowing magma.

"Yeah, it's hot, let's get over to that doorway," Link pointed to the distant ledge that held another path forward. Suddenly, they heard two caawing cries and two lizards jumped down onto two of the raised platforms, holding swords and standing on their hind legs.

"Lizalfos," Navi elucidated at once. "They're skilled swordsman, but don't have shields. If you're careful, you can outfight them,"

"All right, Link, I'm going to go engage that one," Lucius pointed at the one to their left. "That will leave you to fight the one on the right. Be careful,"

"You too," Link replied before the mage bounded over to the Lizalfos and proceeded to blast a fireball at it. It dodged, easily, and swung downward. Its blade bounced off of his staff, with a clang, and he caught it under the chin with a jab of the bottom end of the pole. Reeling and screeching, the Lizalfos leapt at him furiously. Lucius ducked the blow and caught it in the torso with a wave of air, sending it crashing into the room's central pillar and allowing it to fall in the magma and burn to death in a scene of screaming, flailing, and flames.

After Lucius left, the other Lizalfos decided to jump over and confront Link. He blocked the fierce downward swing, his earlier bite wound stinging a bit, and countered with a stab. The Lizalfos flipped over him and spun, but Link managed to roll out of the way, as he had tripped from his stab missing. He leapt aside as the Lizalfos tried a stab of its own and hacked at its arm. The appendage was severed easily by the Hylian steel and fell to the ground uselessly, leaking blood. Link pushed aside the urge to puke as the Lizalfos screeched at its bleeding nub and slashed viciously at him. The blow deflected his shield to the side and allowed his foe to kick him in the face, bloodying his nose and sending him reeling dangerously close to the edge. The Lizalfos charged forward for a follow-up, but Link recovered in time to see it and jumped to the side, on instinct, causing it to have to stop, flailing, on the edge. Acting quickly, he kicked it in the back, causing it to topple over and fall in the magma. He turned his head away as it screamed and burned up.

"Link!" Lucius called from the doorway. The boy waved and jumped over with the raised platforms. "You did well, although it looks like you took a hit," the mage commented, putting his hand to Link's nose and healing it in a flash of light. "Here," he handed him a handkerchief to wipe his nose. Link took it, gratefully, and cleaned off as much blood as he could.

"I feel like I'm gonna be sick," the boy moaned as he handed back the bloodied handkerchief. The mage nodded.

"I understand," he turned away. "Taking a life is hard, you don't need to feel ashamed,"

"I'm not ashamed!" Link objected. "I…just don't like seeing enemies bleed everywhere,"

"Link…" Navi muttered. "Fairies are peaceful, so…I don't like it, either," They stood in silence for a moment.

"If you two are ready, we need to continue," the mage said, at last. "The Gorons need their food supply back,"

"Yeah," Link agreed. "Come on, Navi,"

"Right! We'll run out all those Dodongos!" she said enthusiastically.

They progressed down the dark, dank corridor, hearing stomping ahead and smelling smoke.

"I think that we're nearing the stomping grounds for the adult Dodongos," Lucius warned. "Be careful, they can breathe fire,"

"Right…" Link clutched his dagger tighter as they came out into a larger area.

"There!" Lucius shouted as they saw a large, armored lizard nearby. It stopped on its four feet and regarded them before beginning to inhale. "Get out of the way!" he jumped clear as the lizard unleashed a sizable flamethrower from its mouth. Link jumped the other way, landing next to a bomb flower. An idea struck him as another Dodongo approached Lucius on the opposite side.

"Lightning!" he shouted, firing a bolt of light from his staff. It scored the Dodongo and made it stagger, but it was, relatively, unhurt. Link uprooted the Bomb Flower and held it as the Dodongo near him turned to him. As it began to inhale, he hurled the explosive plant into its mouth and it choked before a muffled explosion could be heard. It collapsed and Link quickly got clear, knowing what was coming. The explosion rocked the room as Lucius dodged another flamethrower. "Geyser Shot!" The swell of water dazed the Dodongo a little but it shook it off rather quickly and started to inhale again.

"Take this!" Link chucked another Bomb Flower and it went into its mouth, just like before, with the same results.

"Barrier!" Lucius cried as the monster exploded. A yellow, transparent shield appeared briefly and blocked the explosion. "Well, that was interesting," He turned to Link. "I suppose that I should thank you,"

"Nah, you don't have to," Link scratched the back of his head modestly.

"All right," the mage said with no objection, proceeding forward a little to analyze the room, now that the Dodongos were cleared out.

"Well, you could thank me a little…" Link mumbled, a bit dejected.

"You should just be glad that everyone is okay, thanks to you," Navi interjected.

"If you say so…"

"Here's the exit," Lucius summoned them from the far end of the room. "Hurry along!"

"Coming!" Link and Navi called back, hastening forward.

"This is the main room!" Link grumbled unhappily when he saw what was beyond the alcove that they arrived on. "We just went in a big circle!"

"I'd wager that this switch is important," Lucius ventured, ignoring the usual complaints, as he looked at the box switch on the floor.

"It'd better be," Link said darkly. The mage pushed it with his foot and it clicked into place, staying once the pressure was removed. The sound of a path being unbarred came from the other side of the room.

"I guess that that barred path on the other ledge just opened," Navi deduced.

"Let's go over there, then," Lucius hopped down from the ledge as he finished saying this. Link followed and they proceeded back to the central platform. The Beamos immediately hissed as it noticed their presence, again, and started firing its beam. "Lightning!" A bolt of light struck it in the eye, stunning it, temporarily, and they ran over to the other side, hopping over to the ledge. Proceeding to the newly-opened path, the trio entered another dark room that held a tall, broad pillar, which was surrounded by a ring of Bomb Flowers. They circled around and looked at the break in the ring that was at the thin end of the rectangular ring.

"This looks rigged for a chain reaction…" Lucius deduced. "Who knows what it will cause, though,"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Navi stated. "And Link is already doing it, anyway," she added, pointing to the boy as he set a Bomb Flower in the break.

"Link-!" the mage's words were drowned out as a series of explosions occurred, their painful din echoing off of the walls as the party shielded themselves against the wall. When the smoke cleared, they saw that the explosions had caused the pillar to collapse enough to allow the stairs which, apparently, had been on top of it, to connect with the ground and become usable. Lucius immediately whacked Link over the head with his staff after the shock had worn off a little.

"Ow! What was that for?" the boy objected.

"Use some discretion!" the mage reprimanded. "What if that had killed us?"

"Hey, you said it yourself that it was set up as a chain reaction!" Link argued. "You were gonna try it, anyway!"

"Yes, but with proper precautions!" Lucius retorted. "You could have…" He turned away and sighed, trying to force himself to calm down. "Well, what's done is done. You solved the puzzle and let us just leave it at that," He started forward without further ado and began to ascend the large stairs with a little extra effort, as they were too tall to just walk up normally.

"Let's go, Link," Navi suggested quietly, floating after the mage. Still quite irritated, Link grunted and began to climb the first step.

At length, they reached the top and were faced with two ascending ramps that led to the upper ledge of the room.

"It doesn't seem to matter which one we take," Lucius observed, climbing onto the right ledge and starting up the ramp. Link followed without comment. A familiar scratching noise reached their ears as they neared the top. They turned their heads and saw a couple of Skulltullas on a web on the upper ledge. Lucius casually fired a fireball at the ledge before Link could even reach for his slingshot, burning up the spiders and their web. Link gave him a look that he couldn't see, since he wasn't looking, and then they proceeded through the doorway at the top of the room.

Link quickly got a bit of vertigo as they came out on a wooden bridge that was, seemingly, at the top of the main room. Several flaming Keese came soaring their way as they slowed to get their bearings on the rickety rope bridge.

"Farore's Wind!" the mage slashed in midair with his staff and dispensed with the bats. "Okay, let's take this slowly, we don't want to fall off,"

"You can say that again," Link concurred.

"You'd be a hotcake if you fell from here," Navi commented, looking at the distant ground.

About halfway across, they came to a gap in the boards. Lucius hopped over it and kept going. Link, swallowing nervously, he still remembered his fall in the Deku Tree, and bounded over it as well. That nerve-wracking task complete, they entered the next chamber. It was a maze, of sorts, composed of several tall pillars that forced them to have to descend, via a ladder that was propped on and secured to the edge of the ledge that they were on.

"What's that?" Link questioned as he heard the periodic 'shing' of a blade on rock.

"There are traps in here," Navi answered. "Look around the corners before you go out, or you'll probably loose a foot,"

"Great, so many great ways to die…" Link mumbled, starting to wish that he'd never come in here. A bladed block slid by on its track as they stood next to the ladder.

"If we move after it goes by, but before it comes back, we should be fine," Lucius assured him. "Watch," he stood there until the trap slid slowly back by for its reset and then darted to the next alcove. Link swallowed again and watched the trap zoom by. As it slid slowly back to reset, he moved hastily out into harm's way and into the alcove, where his companion was waiting. "See? Simple,"

"I guess, but it's still scary," Link intoned. "Let's just move on,"

"We can't," Lucius pointed at the top of the nearby ladder. A wall of dirt and clay was blocking the way forward. "Climb up and see if there's a Bomb Flower around,"

"Okay," he grabbed the rungs and heaved himself up to the blockage. There was a small amount of foot room, so he was able to stand and turn to see a shorter pillar nearby. A Bomb Flower was growing on said pillar. "I found one!" he hopped over.

"Now, make sure you throw it just right," Navi advised. "It may bounce off the ledge, otherwise,"

"Got it," Link said quickly, pulling up the Bomb Flower. He sized the distance quickly and chucked it to the most distant corner of the doorway , allowing it to blow the blockage to pieces and leave the ladder intact.

The next room had a path over the lower part of the room. The path, however, was broken and a pillar with a column of fire sat between their stone end and the wooden-like end beyond. Of course, there were also flaming Keese in the room and, naturally, they attacked upon their entrance.

"Link!" Navi shouted. He dodged out of the way and cut one asunder as Lucius blasted two more out of the air with a Geyser Shot. The fourth wheeled around and tried to sneak up on them, but Link spun and saw it coming, so he hit it with a shot from his slingshot. That threat taken care of, they addressed the puzzle at hand.

"There's no visible way to get rid of the fire…" the mage observed. "That means that it's magic and magic must be fought with magic. Geyser Shot!" A pillar of water engulfed the pillar of fire and extinguished it, leaving a smoking pillar top in its place. "Come on, it won't stay out long," He warned before jumping across. Link did the same and they proceeded to another room.

It was another room with raised pillars and magma, although this one defied the laws of physics, as it was on the second floor. Blame magic.

"This looks like that room where we fought the Lizalfos," Navi noted. This was confirmed when their caawing cries sounded and they dropped down, like before, onto two distant platforms.

"Same tactics as before," Lucius said briskly, breaking off to fight the one on the right, this time. It slashed at him as he landed, but he blocked it with his staff before summoning a stalagmite that the Lizalfos back-flipped away from. "Din's Fire!" He shot a fireball at it. This, too, was eluded, and it countered with a jumping slash. Lucius dodged to the side and blasted it in the back with a fireball, ending the fight by knocking it out of bounds, aka in the magma.

Link blocked the opening strike as the other Lizalfos leapt onto his platform. It backed off as he retaliated with a horizontal slash and countered with a leaping slash that would have possibly killed Link if he hadn't ducked sideways, and accidentally fallen. He hacked at his foe's leg while on the ground, causing it to be severed. Rolling away, Link stood and watched the Lizalfos teeter on its remaining leg before falling in the magma, as well. He hopped over to the nearby exit as Lucius approached and they rendezvoused by the doorway. They gave a nod to one another and then proceeded to the next room. It was similar to the one before the previous one, but it had two stone columns with pillars of fire atop them. After disposing of the wayward Keese, Lucius employed the same tactic as before, extinguishing the pillar of fire. They jumped over to the smoking column and he put out the second one before they made it across and walked on.

They arrived on another ledge in the maze and trap room.

"We're back here, again," Navi observed.

"I'm sure there's a reason, we just-" Lucius was interrupted as Link called from a atop a pillar to their left.

"I found something!" he waved a brown bag, which he had obviously gotten from the chest behind him, in the air. He hopped back over and showed the contents to them. "It's full of bombs!"

"Oh, yes, I've heard of Bomb Bags," the mage stated. "They're traditionally made from Dodongo stomachs," It was promptly thrown in his hands.

"That's gross!" Link wiped his hands on his outfit.

"Most things are gross in the world," the mage sighed. "You're worried over nothing, though. This bag has been tanned, so there's not really any stomach left to it. It's mainly leather," He shoved it back in Link's hands. He quickly stowed it away. "Now, I see a doorway across from here," He gestured forward from the wood-like platform that they were on. "Come," he jumped the gap.

"This is still kinda gross…" Link muttered.

Another bridge over the main room awaited as they passed through the doorway. This time, however, they were on a ledge that overlooked a bridge that passed over the giant skull. A few flaming Keese came at them as they entered, but were quickly disposed of.

"Giant, dead Dodongo," Lucius read off of a nearby stone tablet. "When it sees red, a new way to go will be open,"

"How do we read this riddle?" Navi looked between the other two.

"Well, there's a gap in the bridge over the two eyes," Link observed. "Maybe we're supposed to…bombs! Yeah, that makes sense!"

"We just got them and the gaps…yes, you're probably right," Lucius smiled slightly. "Let's go try that," Link darted in front of them to go first, but inadvertently pressed a box switch.

"Uh, oh…" he looked down at it. The party looked around, but didn't seem to notice anything different until a stone column suddenly rose up beside the ledge that they were on.

"That's convenient," the mage commented. "We won't have to backtrack to the lower floor,"

"But we'll have to be lowered hundreds of feet," Link mentioned. "I'm still not much happier,"

Moving on, they cautiously tread out on the bridge. Link stopped at the first gap and pulled the magical lighter out of his bomb bag.

"That's a lighter, imbued with fire magic," Lucius explained before he could be asked. The boy shrugged and clicked the lighter, making a flame appear, and touched it to the wick of a bomb. He quickly dropped the explosive and it fell into the skull's eye. There was an explosion and the eye began to glow red. Link quickly hopped the gap and repeated the action with the other eye, to the same result. Both eyes were now red, but nothing seemed to be happening.

"Now what?" Link looked to Lucius. He was about to reply when the room started to shake. The skull's jaw began to descend until it was a ramp that lead to another doorway. Of course, they couldn't see that, but they noticed that the jaw opened. They backtracked to the ledge and waited for the pillar to ascend. Once it was level with them, they, with some prodding and pushing to Link, boarded and rode down at a steady pace. After a couple of minutes, they were next to the central platform, again. They jumped onto it and the Beamos hissed, but Link was ready for it, this time, and lobbed a bomb its way. Dodging the exploding head, the party proceeded into the skull's mouth. A rocky hallway lead from the main room, and they could hear the sounds of more Baby Dodongo's burrowing beneath the surface. They increased their pace and, fortunately, avoided any confrontations before arriving in a square room with several flaming Keese patrolling. Link sniped a few with his slingshot and Lucius killed any that spotted them with Farore's Wind.

"This looks like another pressure switch," Link stated as he looked at the switch that was in a hole in the center of the room.

"I'd bet that you have to push that block over there," Lucius pointed to a block on a ledge nearby. "Into the hole, but you can't climb that ledge,"

"Can't you?" Navi questioned.

"Let's find out," the mage went over and pulled himself up. "All right, I'll push it down," He put his weight against it and slid it slowly towards the edge. Link stepped back as it fell with a thud. He grabbed it by its back edge and worked it away from the wall before pushing it into the hole. Sure enough, the bars that blocked the way forward were opened. The party proceeded in and found a hole in the floor. The glow of magma was shining from below.

"I think we may be near the big enemy," Navi said with mixed excitement and apprehension.

"Knowing this place, it's probably a giant Dodongo," Link shuddered.

"Just remember that Dodongos can't stand having bombs thrown into their mouths," Lucius consoled them. "Also, you can call medicine from my chest, if you need it, but try to save it for near-mortal injuries,"

"Why didn't you tell me that, before?" Link demanded.

"Because you'd have wasted all the medicine," Navi interjected. "You aren't very good at taking pain,"

"Well, I'm not a hardened warrior!" the boy said hotly.

"All right," Lucius stepped between them. "Save your rage for the foe ahead,"

"Fine!" Link and Navi said simultaneously, turning away from each other. The mage sighed and shook his head before going over to the hole. He hopped in without much hesitation. Link walked to the edge, next, hesitating.

"Boo!" Navi shouted, making him jump in surprise and fall. She giggled and flew after him.

"Ow…" Link got gingerly to his feet in the extremely hot room below. He saw Lucius in front of him, but the mage was looking gravely at something behind him. He could hear loud breathing and feel hot breath. "It's behind me, isn't it?" he jumped forward and spun around, coming face-to-face with a colossal Dodongo. It roared and then curled up in a ball and started rolling at them. Naturally, they started running. The boss continued to follow then until they turned a corner of the square magma pool that was in the middle of the room. Not being able to turn, apparently, King Dodongo smashed into the wall and uncurled before slowly stomping towards them. Lucius sent several bolts of light at it, but that only served to agitate it. "You're making it madder!" Link shouted.

"That's the idea!" the mage replied, summoning a geyser under the dinosaur's feet. It roared in annoyance and began to inhale.

"Link, bombs!" Navi yelled in his ear, shocking him out of his fearful stupor. He pulled out a bomb, hastily lighting it, and threw it into King Dodongo's mouth. He swallowed it and there was a muffled explosion. Immediately, he fell down, stunned. "Attack!" Navi ordered as Lucius hit the boss with a stalagmite. The boy charged forward and stabbed the monster repeatedly in the head, making it roar in pain. Angry, it spun and smashed Link into the wall with its tail before rolling away.

"Gak…" the boy coughed out, lying with multiple broken or crushed bones and some blood leaking out of his mouth.

"Restore!" Lucius cried, making a stream of blue light fly from his staff and engulf Link. His wounds and injuries mended themselves enough for him to get back up as the mage spun to take on King Dodongo as he inhaled to breathe a sea of fire at them.

"Get up, Link!" Navi shouted. "You can't die here!"

"Barrier!" Lucius held out his staff and blocked the massive flamethrower with a transparent yellow shield. He grit his teeth and let loose an involuntary grunt of effort as the fire was deflected away from himself and Link. The boy struggled to his feet as the boss finally finished breathing and decided to roll at them, again. Lucius dropped the barrier and took flight. Link also began to flee again. Around another corner they went, and King Dodongo hit another wall. Once again, he faced them and began to inhale. Link lit a bomb and hurled it into his mouth and he collapsed with the explosion. Lucius fired several light bolts down his throat as Link gave him one last hard stab to the head. Roaring and flailing in agony, the boss rolled away and tried to round a corner in its pain, resulting in it going into the magma pool and sinking. As it died, Ganondorf's wicked magic faded and the magma turned to hard, traversable stone with a glowing, blue circle near the boss's dead, immobile head. Lucius swayed on his feet and took a knee while Link fell onto his butt.

"Link!" Navi sobbed, hugging his cheek. "I thought that you were…"

"Yeah, me too…" the boy muttered, putting a comforting hand to the fairy's back.

"We nearly all bought the farm," Lucius panted. Navi flew over and hugged his cheek too. "Huh? What is it?" He asked with a mildly surprised expression.

"You saved him! Thank you!" the fairy sobbed.

"It was what any decent person would have done, I need no thanks for it," he smiled tiredly.

"How about we have some lunch before we go?" Link suggested after a few minutes. "I need some energy,"

"I agree wholeheartedly," the mage dragged himself over to Link and pulled out some rations and milk. They ate and drank in silence, for a while, trying not to look at the still-smoking corpse of the boss. Finally, they were able to stand, though tiredly, revitalized a little by the Lon Lon Milk. Together, they stepped into the ring of blue light.

The next thing they knew, they were standing outside the cavern, where Darunia was waiting. He smiled and beat on his chest.

"Well done!" he patted Link on the back and sent him flying into the ground. "Whoops. Sorry, little guy. But, thanks to you, we can, once again, eat the delicious rocks from the Dodongo's Cavern until our stomachs burst!" Lucius cast another Restore spell on Link and helped him up.

"I'm glad I could be of help," Link smiled.

"This will make an incredible story…please come to the city and stay the night!" Darunia demanded. "We must hear a full account!"

"We accept," Lucius replied gratefully. "This was a trying ordeal," The four began the trek back to Goron City together.

"I still can't believe that the Dodongos suddenly appeared in such great numbers!" Darunia continued as they walked. "And that big rock blocking the cave…All this trouble must have been caused by that Gerudo thief, Ganondorf!" Link, Lucius, and Navi all exchanged significant looks. "He said, 'Give me the Spiritual Stone! Only then will I open the cave for you!'" He smiled at Link and Lucius. "You, on the other hand, risked your lives for us…Kid, Mage, I like you! How's about you and I become Sworn Brothers?"

"Uh…" Link wasn't really sure about this.

"Don't worry, there's no big ceremony involved! Just take this as a token of our friendship!" Darunia held out a glowing, red stone that was set in a gold adornment that made the whole ensemble look like the Gorons' spiky paw print symbol. Link took it and examined its beauty for a minute before putting it away.

"That leaves one more!" Navi said excitedly from Link's shoulder.

"Brothers, you'll keep brushing up on your skills as you travel, won't you?" Darunia didn't wait for a reply. "You should go see the Great Fairy on top of Death Mountain! She will power you up!"

"That's our next destination, I suppose," Lucius shrugged as they were led into Goron City, where the sounds and music of festivity could be heard.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's how they got to be Sworn Brothers of Darunia and saved the Gorons from certain starvation because they're so darn picky about their food. Pretty lame plot, now that I think about it, but I still like the game. Anyway, R&amp;R and so on. Bye!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we are, once again, with another fun day of Link's adventure. I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: The Peak of Death Mountain, The Great Fairies, and The Zora River <strong>

Link was still rubbing his eyes as they slipped out of Goron City, the next morning, around 05:00. The stone beds at the Goron Inn/Shop hadn't been that comfortable, the food hadn't been edible at the party (Link had a chipped tooth to prove it), and most of the Gorons kept trying to hug them. This, of course, would give a normal person bad pressure injuries, so it was at the top of their priority list to avoid Goron hugs.

"So we're heading to the peak?" Link yawned.

"Yes," Lucius replied without stopping.

"That means a lot of climbing and, probably, pain, right?" the boy added.

"Probably," the mage affirmed.

"Darn," Link concluded, shaking his hat to try to wake Navi, but she didn't stir. "And she calls _me_ lazy…" He yawned again.

* * *

><p>They quickly arrived at the mini-hub from the previous day and began the climb to the ledges.<p>

"Mountain Summit-Danger Ahead," Link read a sign that was on the first ledge. "Keep out,"

"I won't pretend that it isn't dangerous," Lucius admitted. "But all adventuring is," He pointed to a large rock that was blocking their progress up the small slope. "Now, that needs a bomb,"

"You're the boss," Link muttered, lighting a bomb and wedging it under the rock, so that it wouldn't roll back at them, before they retreated to a safe distance. Boom! The rock went flying in fragments, narrowly missing them. Navi, awakened, at last, by the explosion came flying out from under Link's hat.

"Where are the enemies?" she shouted, looking around.

"There aren't any," Lucius informed her. "We were removing a blockage,"

"Oh…" her wings drooped and she yawned, looking around. "Why are we out here? It's not even daylight, yet,"

"Two words, Goron hugs," Link grumbled emphatically as they continued up the short ramp. At the top, the trio gazed upon the long path that led to a sheer wall, which was only broken by scattered ledges. "Well, let's get moving," he sighed with acceptance, taking the lead in the long trek. The sun began to rise as they were about a third of the way there, cueing a rooster to crow in the distance. It wasn't but a couple of seconds later when the mountain gave a tremble and an ominous rumble met their ears.

"This doesn't bode well," Lucius stopped and looked up at the peak.

"What doesn't?" Navi asked.

"You do remember all about Death Mountain being an active volcano, do you not?" the mage looked at the other two.

"Yeah…" Link confirmed. "Does that have to do with this?"

"Link! Volcanoes erupt hot lava and flaming rock!" Navi shouted. "We're in grave danger here!"

"I'm afraid she's right," Lucius nodded. "Our best bet is to hurry before the eruptions start to get too serious or we might not make it,"

"Another day in my life…" Link sighed.

They hurried along as much as they could without full out running, but the rumbling and quaking continued to get worse.

"Look out!" Navi cried. Link jumped back as some flaming rock crashed nearby.

"Hurry!" Lucius shouted, taking off at a run. They were two thirds of the way there. If they could just make it a little further.

"Whoa!" Link dived forward and scrambled onto his feet as another chunk of volcanic rock nearly crushed him.

"Agh!" Lucius staggered as a smaller rock hit his shoulder and bounced off. Though cushioned by the leather padding in his robe, the blow still hurt badly and set the impact point ablaze. There was little time to deal with that, at the moment, though, and they went for broke as the made a final sprint for the sheer cliff wall and hid under one of the ledges.

"Lucius! Are you okay?" Link barked over the din of the eruption. The mage extinguished the fire with a small burst of water from his staff and held his hand to his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he assured the boy, his hand glowing blue, briefly. "It was just a minor hit. I have my armor,"

"How are we going to get to the peak with this going on?" Navi wanted to know. They watched a cavalcade of flaming rocks crash on the path that they had just crossed.

"We'll just have to wait it out," Lucius deduced. "I've heard that these eruptions only last about an hour," He reached into his bag for some rations. "We might as well have some breakfast while we wait,"

"I was hoping that we would stop for some, at some point," Link immediately grabbed some of the food. "You had me thinking that we were going all day on an empty stomach,"

"I'm not that cruel," the mage raised his eyebrows slightly, handing Navi a small piece of cheese. "But we'll need to stock up, soon. We're getting low,"

* * *

><p>As guessed, the eruptions petered off at 07:06 and the trio ventured from their hiding place.<p>

"I've been looking at this wall for the past hour…and it looks like it has some handholds," Navi pointed out the rough texture of the wall.

"Although these rock protrusions look a bit fragile…" Lucius added. "But I guess we have no choice," A Tektite suddenly came hurtling down from above and knocked him to the ground. Link quickly slashed at its side, wounding it and forcing it to jump away. "Din's Fire!" the mage shot a fireball from his hand and it crashed into a nearby wall. Link raced over as the mage jumped back to his feet and stabbed the monster in the eye, finishing it.

"Looks like you're getting sloppy," Link commented with a good-natured grin.

"Hmm," the mage decided not to respond and looked up the wall. "There are Skulltullas up there, as well,"

"I hate those," Link remarked, pulling out his slingshot.

"I don't think that you can hit them from here," Navi advised. "Let's climb up a little before we try,"

"Fine, but, if I get bitten, I'm holding you responsible," the boy warned as he cautiously grabbed onto the cracks in the rock and started to climb. It was rough and tiring work, but he finally got to the first platform after twenty minutes. Lucius followed, a couple of minutes later, not much less tired. The nearby Skulltullas hissed and came crawling over, mandibles clacking. Link loosed a shot and killed one while the other died by fireball. Their corpses hit the ground and stayed there while the group recuperated a little.

"I hear more," Navi warned. "Be careful,"

"Right," Link said as he grudgingly got ready to proceed to the next ledge, a little ways up and to the side. Once there, three more Skulltullas came rushing over. They were promptly incinerated.

An hour and a half after the climb started, they finally came to the top of the wall and set foot on the highest flat spot on the mountain.

"Finally…" Link sat down for a breather, some ways from the edge.

"Death Mountain Summit," Navi recited from a nearby sign. "Entrance to crater ahead. Beware of intense heat,"

"That fairy had better not be in the crater," Link panted.

"She's not," a voice said from above. They all looked up and saw Kaepora flapping towards them. He settled himself on the nearby sign, somehow not crushing it, and waved his head at them. "She is behind that wall," He pointed to a nearby pile of rocks which, obviously, had fallen down and blocked a cave entrance. "You done well to come all the way up here, Link, and you too, noble mage,"

"You must be the legendary Kaepora Gaebora," Lucius said with a mild surprised expression.

"The same," the owl did a little bow. "Now, this is the summit of the sacred Death Mountain, Link, but I'm sure you already know that. Do you see those clouds?" He pointed the ring of thin, white cloud that hovered around the peak. "It is said that those clouds reflect the condition of Death Mountain. When they look normal, it is at peace,"

"That makes sense," Navi agreed.

"Now, you should go speak to the Great Fairy," he pointed at the cave again. "She will give you a new ability, or unlock a dormant one. I will perch here and wait for you. When you're ready to go back down, I can help you! Now, get going!"

"How can you possibly help us get back down the mountain?" Link asked, cocking his head.

"I'll show you after you go see the Great Fairy," the owl made a shooing gesture and began to preen himself.

"All right, then," the boy shrugged and went over to the rock slide. He set a bomb and retreated, allowing the obstruction to be destroyed safely.

* * *

><p>The inside of the cave was filled with the tinkling of falling water as it cascaded down the walls continuously, creating a rainbow myriad of colors. The feel of magic filled the cave. There was a fountain, of sorts, at the end of the short, white brick path that led from the entrance of the cave. Before the fountain was the emblem of three golden triangles, engraved into the floor.<p>

"This symbol resembles the fabled Triforce," Lucius commented, peering at it. "It is, most often, associated with the Royal Family…"

"So, I need to play Zelda's Lullaby, again?" Link looked at him.

"Perhaps…" he mused. Shrugging, the boy played the short tune, on his ocarina. It echoed around the cave and faded and then a high, tinkling laugh sounded from the fountain, causing the three to jump back in shock.

"Welcome Link and Lucius!" a woman with long, red hair, braided into three tresses, clad in a leotard of leaves, rose up out of the pool with a spin. She smiled at her visitors as she looked down at them. Link was transfixed by her beauty while Lucius was in wonder that he was encountering yet another legend. "I am the Great Fairy of Power! I'm going to grant you a magic technique. Receive it now!" She raised a hand and a blue light shot from her fingers. It flew down and fixed itself on Link's left ring finger. With a flash, the light became a bronze ring with a faintly glowing blue jewel affixed in it. "With this Restoration Ring, you can now call upon the power of the Restore spell! Merely concentrate upon the one that you wish to heal and cry out 'Restore!'. Be wary, though, as you will not be able to use much magic, at first. With time, though, you will gain proficiency and you may not even need the ring, anymore!" She laughed. "You're a messenger of the Royal Family, aren't you?"

"That's what I've been told," Link replied breathlessly.

"Well, next time you're in their neighborhood, you should drop in on a friend of mine who lives by Hyrule Castle. She'll surely grant you another new power!" She waved her arms and all of their fatigue and injury was suddenly gone as several ribbons of pink light whipped briefly around them. "When battle has made you weary, please come back to see me," She laughed, again, and vanished back into the spring.

"Link!" Navi shouted, after a moment. "We need to go!"

"Huh? Oh, right," he shook his head and started out of the cave. "Come on, Lucius," The mage looked around at them and nodded before falling into line.

"What's wrong?" Navi questioned him.

"Nothing," Lucius answered. "I'm just surprised at the number of legends that I've met by traveling with you two,"

"Hoo hoot!" Kaepora greeted them as they came back out into the daylight. Link jumped.

"I forgot that you were here!" he exclaimed. The owl chuckled.

"Well, it looks like you've grown a little stronger from the Great Fairy's power," he continued. "But you still don't really look like the hero who will save Hyrule. At least, not yet!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Link demanded.

"Link," Navi chastised.

"Anyway, are you heading down now?" Kaepora inquired.

"I suppose," Lucius interjected. "We've completed our errand, here,"

"All right, then just hang onto my talons!" the owl sang as he flapped over and grabbed them in one of his talons, respectively, and started to take off.

"Wait a minute!" Link protested, only to start screaming as the owl took off at a great speed. He soared along the path to the peak and over the ravine that was next to Death Mountain before making a beeline for the village.

* * *

><p>He set them down at the village entrance. Link sat, trembling on the ground, as he bid them farewell and hooted before flying off. The boy continued to shake with his adrenaline high, for another ten minutes.<p>

"Is he okay?" the clock guard asked from atop the gate.

"Yes, just a little shocked," Lucius called back.

Eventually, Link was able to stand and they set off out the gate.

"Ding-dong! It's now 08:52!" the guard called after them.

"All right, if we hurry, we may be able to visit the Great Fairy and start for our next destination by afternoon,"

"Where is our next destination, anyway?" Navi asked, as Link was still a bit shaky and angry about the ride down the mountain.

"Hmm…well, the three Spiritual Stones are Forest, Fire, and Water, if I recall from _The Legends of Hyrule_ and _About the Zora_, _Of the Forest_, and _Ode to the Gorons_,"

"So the Zoras must have the last one," Navi concluded. They suddenly heard Saria's Song play and her voice began to come, muffled, out of Link's Fairy Satchel. He reached inside and pulled out his ocarina so that he could hear her more clearly.

"Link! Is this a bad time?" Saria's voice asked from the glowing ocarina.

"No, this is a good enough time, although I just got flown down a mountain by a giant owl," Link replied. With that, he launched into a hammed up story. Navi and Lucius looked at each other and continued walking. Link followed while still talking.

* * *

><p>"Hey!" Steve greeted them. "How's the adventuring going?"<p>

"We saved the Gorons!" Link commented, turning from his ocarina, for a moment. "We're just looking for the last thing, now," Saria, apparently, could tell that he was talking to someone else and just listened.

"Oh, you mean the Zora's Sapphire?" she offered. "The Zora of Zora River have it, or so the Great Deku Tree said, one time,"

"Is that ocarina talking?" Steve asked Lucius.

"Oh, that's not even the oddest thing that we've met, lately," the mage shrugged. "I'd take the time to tell you, but we must get to the castle," They proceeded into the market, leaving a puzzled-looking Steve leaning on his spear.

* * *

><p>They arrived in the castle grounds after a short trip through the market.<p>

"Well, we're about to have to sneak in the castle, so I have to go," Link told Saria ruefully. "I'll call back some other time,"

"Okay, see you," she said before the ocarina stopped glowing.

"Actually, I can probably get us in the front gate," Lucius confided.

"What? Why didn't you say that before I broke the connection?" Link huffed. Navi giggled at his expression. "Shut it, Navi,"

They approached the gate guard.

"Halt! State your business!" he barked.

"I am Lucius, scholar, and this is Link, friend of the Princess, we need to pass," the mage explained, holding up his permit and Link's stationary.

"Okay, fine, but don't cause any trouble!" the guard warned. "Open up!" he shouted at the gate house. The sound of the winch cranking started and the gate slid into the ground. The trio entered and the gate cranked back into place, almost immediately.

"Okay, so where is the Great Fairy?" Link inquired of Lucius as they walked a little ways along the path.

"I sense magic this way," the mage led them over to a small alcove that housed a large rock. "Bomb this,"

"Right," the boy lit a bomb, dropped it, and they ran a short distance. The following explosion destroyed the rock, but it also attracted the attention of several guards.

"What are you doing?" one of them shouted as they came running over.

"Uh, oh," Link took off into the new cave. Lucius decided to try to talk to the guards. How he was going to explain his way out was another story.

* * *

><p>"Welcome, Link!" the Great Fairy greeted him after he had played the song. "I am the Great Fairy of Magic! I will grant you another spell!" She raised her arm and a red light fired out of her hand, forming a bronze ring, with a faintly glowing red jewel, in midair. The ring landed in his hand. "With Din's Ring, you can access the power of Din's Fire! Simply point your blade at an enemy and cry out 'Din's Fire!'. Bear in mind, though, that this spell will drain your magic strength and is capable of hurting allies if misaimed. You will gain more magical strength as you practice magic and gain power and mastery. You can also burn things with Din's Fire, which I'm sure you have learned from your companion,"<p>

"Hey, you!" a guard called as a three of them entered the cave.

"Farewell, for now, but come back to me if battle has made you weary," the Great Fairy vanished in a flash of light as the guards grabbed Link and dragged him bodily out.

"Nice of you to join me," Lucius said dryly as Link hit the dirt, hard, next to the mage.

"And stay out!" one of the guards shouted as he stalked back to his post.

"I _did _warn you," the gate guard growled. "Now my pay has been docked because of the damage you did,"

"We just unblocked a fountain!" Navi objected. "How is that damage?"

"Don't ask me! Ask my oh-so-smart Captain!" the guard retorted.

"Come on," Lucius guided the boy and fairy away before they could start a fight with the man.

"So, what power did you get?" Lucius asked, a little while later, as he emerged from a supply store in the back alleys.

"I got a ring that lets me use Din's Fire," Link replied, glad to have a reason to finally leave this area. The scruffy guy next to the trash bins, across the street, had been eyeing him suspiciously, for a while.

"Well, a word of advice about magic rings," the mage said as they walked back to the market. "You can only wear one at a time, but you'll eventually learn to use the magic on your own. Just focus on how the power feels as it flows through you and then you may be able to do it on your own,"

"How does it feel to use magic?" Navi questioned with a curious look.

"Like a great energy coursing through your body, malleable, and at your command," the mage replied, looking pensively into thin air. "A great woman once described it perfectly…"

"Who?" Link asked.

"Never you mind," he sped his pace. "Come! We need to reach the river. It is already half past noon!"

"He never seems to want to tell us about his life, does he?" Navi commented.

"Well, if he doesn't want to confide in us, we can't make him," Link answered. "That's the right he has," The fairy looked at him oddly. "I heard it somewhere,"

* * *

><p>"This is the river," Link noted as they crossed the bridge and headed back towards Kakariko. "So we need to go up the river to find the Zora?"<p>

"Yes," Lucius confirmed. "Their city is at the head of the river, behind a mighty waterfall, or so I've read, at any rate,"

"That sounds like it will be hard to get to," Navi remarked. "But I guess that we'll cross that bridge when we come to it,"

They proceeded on and found a shallow spot in the river, just beyond a natural lookout point that was aimed at the slope that lead to Kakariko, which allowed them to cross to the other side. They came to a sign, shortly, that told them that they were on the right track, and turned a corner under a rocky overhang. They passed through a patch of tall grass as the water rushed loudly by, but halted as they came to an old gateway with a tree nearby. The gateway had no gate, but was blocked by several large rocks.

"This looks like a roadblock," Lucius observed. "But nothing a few bombs cannot remedy,"

"Hoo hoo!" Kaepora hooted, flapping over and landing on the old gateway. "Zora's Domain is ahead and the Zora protect this water source for Hyrule's Royal Family. Naturally, they will only allow someone with a connection to the family to enter their city, but I'm sure you know how to prove that! Hooo hoo hooooot!" He flapped off.

"Right…" Link muttered, proceeding in his bombing of the boulders. Of course, the impact also blew part of the gateway off and it washed downstream. "Whoops,"

* * *

><p>Moving on, they were quickly set upon by an odd, purple creature that resembled an octopus. It sprang out of the river nearby and spat a rock at them. Instinctively, Link hit behind his shield and the rock bounced off with a clunk.<p>

"Din's Fire!" Lucius quickly ended the thing. "Octorok, annoying, spits rocks,"

"It's easy to kill, though," Navi added, casting the mage a look. Continuing up a short slope, they met with another Octorok, but Link took it out with his slingshot. They, then, took a path that skirted around a tall geological formation.

"Watch out," Navi warned. "There are Tektites here,"

"Where?" Link looked around.

"In the water," Lucius gestured down at the flowing river to their left. Several blue Tektites sat on the water, obviously unfazed by the current. "If we don't bother them, though, they may not notice us," So they continued, quietly, and managed to avoid a fight. Their path was, next, impeded by being covered by a shallow layer of water. Not deterred a bit, they pushed on, dispatching another Octorok as it jumped out of the water and shot at them. They crossed a wooden bridge, after this, beginning to hear the roar of water cascading down. "There's the waterfall," the mage pointed to the massive torrent.

"Whoa…" Link had only seen the small one in his village. That was dwarfed by this. "Can we get through that?"

"Certainly," Lucius assured him as they ascended the winding stone ramps. "Just remember Kaepora Gaebora's words,"

"Use Zelda's Lullaby," Navi explained. "It even says so, here," she hovered over an inscription that was directly in front of the barely-visible entranceway, which was behind the waterfall

"Okay," Link said loudly over the water, ignoring the spray that was getting on the whole party. He played the song, once again, and the waterfall split into two torrents.

"Let's go," Lucius hopped across, into the entrance. Link put away his ocarina and jumped in, too. The waterfall resumed its regular pattern as they entered. "I'm curious to know what this city is like," the mage commented.

"Well, you're about to find out," Navi noted as they stepped in.

* * *

><p>It was quite the large place. All indoors, that didn't stop it from being a beautiful city. A large waterfall was visible from the entrance, falling into a large pool where Zora swam, played, and laughed. A beam of sunlight peeked through one of the high windows of the cave refracted through the main waterfall, creating a rainbow. Many buildings of coral could be seen around the city, and several guards, wielding shell spears and wearing polished, yellow scale-covered mail and helmets that looked like fish heads, were standing around the city, supervising the population. Quite a few braziers were positioned on the stone paths and shorelines of the city, but most weren't lit, as it was still two and a half hours until dusk.<p>

"Halt! What is your business in Zora City?" one of the two guards, near the entrance, asked. "If you, non-Zora, are here, then you must be messengers from the Royal Family of Hyrule,"

"Yes, we are," Link said, at once. "We're here to ask for-" Lucius covered his mouth.

"May we speak with your leader? This is a matter of secrecy between royalty," the mage stated politely.

"Sure. He's that way," the guard pointed down the path. "Just go up at the fork and you'll get to the throne room. Be warned, though, that King Zora is in no mood to talk. His daughter, Princess Ruto, has gone missing,"

"Oh, no," Navi said sympathetically. "If there's anything we can do to help, we'll do it,"

"I think that we best tell the King that, first, Navi," Lucius cut in. "Excuse us, sir guard," He steered them away.

They came to two more guards that blocked the way to the throne room.

"Do you have business with King Zora?" one asked. "He is fraught with worry about Princess Ruto, and does not wish to hear much but news of her,"

"We are here on Royal business, but we can help with that, too," Link pledged. The guards stepped aside and let them pass.

"I wish that you would think before you speak," Lucius scolded. "What will you do if we cannot find any clues about her whereabouts?"

"I'm sure we will," Link said flippantly.

"You're so reckless," Navi mentioned.

"No comments from the sidelines," Link rebounded.

"Your majesty, you have visitors," one of the throne room guards said to the large Zora that sat atop a small waterfall, on a submerged carpet. "Royal messengers, by the looks of them,"

"Are you here to help us in our search?" King Zora asked sadly. He looked much more fishlike than the other Zora, who only had fins on their arms and fish tails hanging from the back of their heads, with large lips and fish whiskers that stuck out from his cheeks. He also wore a red cape, embroidered with gold, and a matching hat. "My daughter, Princess Ruto has gone missing,"

"We have searched far and wide, even to Lake Hylia, but to naught," a Zora soldier, apparently a Captain, judging by his extra garish armor, reported.

"We are here on other business, but will postpone it, if necessary to aid you in this time of need," Lucius said respectfully.

"Thank you," the King wiped his nose. "Please, go ask the townspeople what they know of this. Many gather at The Fresh Fish. You may get the clue you need,"

"Of course, your majesty," Lucius bowed, putting a hand on Link's back and making him do the same. "We will, now, take our leave of you," He ushered the others out.

"What's with all that bowing and polite language?" Link looked at the mage oddly. "It just makes things awkward," Lucius shrugged.

"I didn't invent the customs. I simply follow them," he sighed as they came back down to the fork. "Now, where do you suppose that The Fresh Fish is?"

"How about there?" Navi pointed at a coral building that was down the other fork that led downward. There was a large sign, on the building, that clearly read 'The Fresh Fish', and there were pictures of food and mugs on the sign, too. They walked closer as Lucius looked up at the sign.

"So, what kind of place is this, Lucius?" Link looked to his older companion.

"This is a pub, where adults relax and unwind from their day with a mug of milk," the mage elucidated levelly as the boy continued to examine the building. It was constructed of colorful coral and the sign was adorned with various creatures' shells. "I don't think that you should go in there, I'll-"

"I'll be fine, Lucius," Link waved his hand dismissively. "If I can fight a giant, fire-breathing dinosaur, I can handle a pub,"

"Might I remind you that you almost died doing that?" the mage started, but Navi interrupted.

"King Zora said to ask around town and named this place, specifically," Lucius sighed with a shrug.

"Very well, I see that I cannot dissuade you, so I will accompany you inside," He submitted, leading the way through the coral door. It was complete with an open/closed sign that was spelled with shells and made of wood.

* * *

><p>It was quite a nice place, they noticed, as the door closed behind them, the bell attached to it ringing. The tables and chairs were also made of coral, as was the bar and its stools. Zora were sitting in most of the seats, chatting casually and eating their meals of fish, with or without kombu, or else sipping at mugs of milk while mulling over the day's happenings. A few gave the Hylian, Kokiri, and fairy a once-over, but didn't really seem to mind that much. At least, they didn't say anything.<p>

A few Zora were on stage at the far side of the room, performing a pleasant song with a guitar, which was made from a large fish bone, a saxophone, made from a large conch shell, and various other flutes and string instruments of that type. As the trio approached the counter, the bartender paused in what he was doing and stared at them unpleasantly. He was an older Zora, quite scarred and, by the looks of it, missing teeth, and, possibly, an eye, judging by the eye patch he wore.

"How old are you, kid?" the gruff-looking bartender grumbled, fixing his good eye on Link. "I don't got time for babysittin'! Scram, brat!" Link opened his mouth to protest, but Lucius cut him off.

"He's with me," the mage said wryly, casting the boy an I-told-you-so look. "We've been asked, by your king, to ask around about the Princess, Ruto," The bartender continued to eye Link in an unfriendly way, but relented, reluctantly.

"Heard all kind of stuff 'round here," he groused. "Mostly rumors, but in't in this city no more, that's fer sure. Coulda run off to Lake Hylia, but the king already sent scouts, last I heard," Link, meanwhile, was getting bored and starting to look around at the patrons. One, in particular, stood out among the others that were sitting at the bar. He wore leather boots and a dark blue kilt; the latter of which was held up by a leather bandolier. His belt was adorned with three sheathed knives, a shimmering, scale-covered buckler hung on the back and a one-sided hand axe, made of sturdy coral with a keen shell blade, hung on the right side. His legs were crossed and he jiggled his suspended right foot in impatience or agitation as a pensive frown creased his pale Zora face. He also wore leather torso armor, complete with leather shoulder guards and hand guards, the latter of which were also part of his gloves. He swirled a mug of milk broodingly, with his thin fingers, staring at the liquid as it churned.

"So we'll have to go to Lake Hylia, ourselves, and look," Navi concluded, bobbing next to Lucius's head. The bartender glanced over, around this point, and saw Link near the mysterious Zora.

"Oi! Get away from 'im!" the scarred Zora barked. "You'll have no head!" He seized Link by the scruff and yanked him away, setting him firmly down next to Lucius. "This is why I don't like kids in here!" he snarled. "That's Tetran. Most vicious Zora mercenary you'll ever see! Don't take kindly to nobody, but he'll do a job for ya if the price is right,"

"I can't leave you alone for one minute, can I?" Navi slapped Link's head.

"Hey!" Link objected. "What if we get this guy to help look for Ruto?"

"I doubt he'd wanna bother," the barkeeper interjected gruffly. "Go somewhere else if you want hints," He went back to tending to his pile of backed-up orders. "Keep yer skin on!" He barked at a couple of complainers.

"Well, you heard him, let's try somewhere else," Lucius stated, beginning to head for the exit, pulling Link along with him.

"So…Princess Ruto has gone missing…" a soft, rough voice said as they passed the mysterious Zora. They stopped and turned to him, wondering if it had been he who had spoken.

"Do you know where she might be?" Link asked boldly. Tetran merely took a swig of milk.

"The large fish will ever devour the small," he replied cryptically, not turning a bit or even looking away from his drink. "Jabu-Jabu may be the clue you seek. Ask the king," He said no more and they decided not to press.

* * *

><p>"Jabu-Jabu…" Lucius repeated thoughtfully as they left The Fresh Fish. "Did he mean the guardian god of the Zora?"<p>

"Well, I'm from the forest, I wouldn't know," Link admitted.

"And what was that about the big fish eating the small one?" Navi added. Lucius snapped his fingers.

"Of course! Jabu-Jabu is a large fish!" he exclaimed. "Princess Ruto could, easily, have been eaten by him,"

"So she's in a giant fish?" Link looked disgusted.

"Suck it up," Navi reprimanded. "Let's go tell King Zora about this,"

"I propose that we tell him, tomorrow," the mage suggested. "It is already 16:07, we don't have enough daylight left, and I think that we have had enough to do, today,"

"But this is a worried father!" Navi protested.

"Telling him that his daughter is inside his guardian deity would only increase that worry," Lucius argued calmly. "Trust me, we should wait until tomorrow morning,"

"Sorry, Navi, gotta side with Lucius on this," Link interjected. "Besides, the inn is right there," he pointed at the building across the street. The sign indicated that it was a shop and an inn.

"Ugh…whatever," the fairy flew off.

"Welcome!" the Zora behind the counter greeted them as they entered the shop. "How may I help you?"

"We would like to rent a room for the night," Lucius relayed.

"Okay, that's 70 rupees," the Zora informed him. The mage handed over a purple rupee and a red one and received a room key with a 8 tag on it. "Straight down the hall to your right, fourth door on the right. I hope you sleep well,"

"Thank you," Lucius said courteously before leading Link down the hall and unlocking the coral door with the shell 8 on it. It was a nice room, with a privacy window that let in a pleasant, cool breeze. Water tinkled pleasantly into a basin in one corner of the room and a curtain of fish skin hung nearby it for bathing privacy. The toilet was in the opposite corner, made of coral with a seashell for a seat and also with a privacy curtain. The beds were made of soft moss and seaweed, with quilts and pillows made of similar. The bed frames were crafted, like much of the Zora city, of coral. "Zora have rather nice quarters, don't you think?" He looked at Link.

"I guess, but how do you heat the water?" he pointed at the wash basin.

"I hate to tell you, but you don't," Link's jaw dropped. "Yes, Zora are cold-blooded, so the cold does not affect them. You'll just have to splash clean, I suppose,"

Navi flew into the shop, looking around for a clue as to where her companions had gone. She paused when she spotted Tetran at the front desk.

"That should do it," the shopkeeper told him, handing him a couple of vials of medicine. "Good night and good luck with your next job,"

"Humph," Tetran exhaled dismissively and, gave Navi the most fleeting of glances before heading down the hall and entering one of the rooms.

"That guy gives me the creeps," the fairy shuddered. "Oh, well. Now where did Link go?" She flew off down the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>Just who is this mysterious Tetran? Will Link and Co. ever find Ruto? Why am I asking you all this? R&amp;R.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**The imfamous Jabu-Jabu's Belly...I own nothing.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: The Enigmatic Tetran, Jabu-Jabu's Belly, and the Zora's Sapphire <strong>

"Ho! You say that Princess Ruto is inside Lord Jabu-Jabu?" King Zora exclaimed. "That's not possible! Our guardian god, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would never eat my dear Princess Ruto!"

"She does prepare his meals, sir," the Zora guard captain interjected with a salute. "It is possible that he may have accidentally eaten her,"

"Perhaps…" the King agreed thoughtfully. "Not to mention that ever since that stranger, Ganondorf, came here, Lord Jabu-Jabu has been a little green around the gills…" Link, Navi, and Lucius exchanged a significant look. "The evidence seems clear," He decided. "Of course, you'll go find Ruto,"

"Yes, we would be craven to back out at this point," Lucius replied with a bow.

"You may pass through here to the altar of Lord Jabu-Jabu," he slid his bulky frame over until the gap in the gate behind him was open. "Please find my dear Princess Ruto immediately…"

"We're on it, sir!" Link bowed and jumped down from the speaking altar that was in front of the king. Lucius sighed at his lack of grace and followed him up the stone path and ramp that led to the King's seat. They stepped into the shallow water and made their way out of the cave. As they exited, Navi, almost immediately shouted out.

"Watch out!" Link and Lucius immediately took defensive stances, but then saw, when their eyes adjusted, that it was Tetran standing, about a yard away, in front of them. His arms were crossed and his expression and eyes cold and hard as ever. He now wore torso armor and gloves that were covered with shimmering, polished, yellow scales and boots that bore the same upgrade.

"It's about time you got here," he said coolly. "I tired of following your slow progress this morning and finally decided to wait here,"

"What is it with people stalking us?" Navi grumbled. "Do you want something?"

"Though I detest the idea of working with you, I offer my services until we rescue Ruto from the belly of the beast," the Zora mercenary whispered.

"Lucius?" Link looked to the mage.

"If he wishes to help, far be it from me to stop him," Lucius remarked.

"It's settled, then," Tetran declared in his quiet voice. "Into the beast…but, first…" He looked over them with scorn. "You all cannot expect to survive with that pathetic leather equipment and Hylian gear, the monsters will eat you alive,"

"Hey!" Link objected. "Just because we're letting you tag along doesn't mean that you can be mean to us!" Navi agreed with this sentiment.

"I won't brook you handicapping me with inferior equipment," the Zora insisted coldly. "There is new equipment at the shop where you stayed the night. Go there and buy some," Lucius held a hand up as Navi was about to say something.

"He has a point, our armor and weapons need updating to keep pace with stronger foes," the mage said soothingly.

"Who does he think he is?" Link complained loudly, attracting attention from passersby as they made their way down the ramp from the throne room.

"He's not here a minute before he starts criticizing us!" Navi agreed. Lucius ignored them and the stares that they were attracting as they headed into the Zora shop.

"Welcome!" the shopkeeper greeted them. "Oh, it's you again! What can I do for you?"

"We were wondering if you have any equipment that we could use?" Lucius asked as Link and Navi still mumbled mutinously.

"Certainly," the shopkeeper concurred eagerly. "Let's see, you use robes, boots, and staves. The boy uses daggers, bucklers, boots, and tunics…" He went into the back and came back with all of these things. "Here you are. That'll run you…1105 rupees,"

"There goes my entire check, almost…" the mage sighed, forking out five silver rupees, an orange one, and a blue one. "Here, go try these on," He handed the pile of equipment to Link.

"Aw…and I was just getting comfortable in the leather stuff…" the boy grumbled, staggering over to the changing area.

They left the shop, a good forty minutes later, garbed in shimmering yellow. Lucius now wielded a staff crafted elegantly of coral and Link now had a dagger that was fashioned from shell that was hard and keen. His buckler was, he noticed, the same make and model that Tetran carried, not that this improved his mood. In fact, it reminded him of how annoyed he was with the Zora and restarted the diatribe. Their boots were also the same that Tetran wore. Leather, they seemed to be, but armored with the same polished scales for extra protection.

"…and this armor is even more stiff and uncomfortable than the leather stuff was," Link continued as they passed through the throne room. "Do I have to wear it?"

"If you don't want to die," Lucius replied with the patience of a saint. "These scales are uncommonly hard and protect far better than leather. In fact, there is leather under the scales, so as to not tear the built-in cloth layer that stops your skin from getting grated," Link quieted down at this, though he still wasn't happy about his movement being reduced again. Not to mention that his hat, also covered in scales, kept clinking against his back, as did his new sheath and shield.

"Good, you've obtained the necessary armors and weapons," Tetran commented flatly as they returned. "Let's go," He turned and walked through the shallow waters, heading for the nearby altar. A large fish, clad with some ceremonial-looking head adornments, similar to those of King Zora, was floating with his head upon the altar. He regarded them as best he could with his eyes being so far apart. His breath was loud and could be felt, fishy and moist, on their faces.

"So, how do we get in? Pry the mouth open?" Navi asked. Tetran snorted.

"No…" he reached into his satchel and withdrew a fish, long dead and, by the looks of it, now jerky, and dropped it on the ground. "The same way Ruto did," Jabu-Jabu's nostrils moved as he smelled the fish and he opened his massive mouth wide, revealing two rows of large teeth. He began to inhale and a mighty wind began to blow into this mouth. Tetran ran forward and jumped inside as the fish jerky did. Lucius lost his footing and was drawn in, feet first. Link, long holder on, panicked and tried to turn and run. Of course, this made him slip and fly in too. The giant fish closed its mouth, content.

"This is so gross…" Link groaned, picking himself up off of the large, slimy tongue in the whale's mouth.

"I never thought that I would be exploring the insides of the Zora guardian," Lucius added, looking around the mouth with interest. Tetran exhaled impatiently.

"Don't forget why we're here," he said bluntly, taking the lead in getting off the slightly twitching tongue. "We have until sunset before his digestion process begins. Best get out of here before then or we'll all be chum,"

"Oh, great…" Link moaned.

Proceeding forward, they came to a shallow pool of water in the back of his mouth. An Octorok, apparently another swallowed being, came jumping from the pool and fired a rock at them. They all jumped aside. Tetran did a cartwheel and then fired one of his arm fins like a boomerang, slicing the Octorok in half before the other two could do anything. The fin returned and reattached to his arm with an odd click.

"That's a unique Zora talent," Lucius commented to Link as the party continued through the water. "Only a few can pull it off, supposedly," Link nodded, but still cringed at the slimy feel of the water. They proceeded through the door and into the throat, which was rather shorter than expected, but incorporated a curved path around a hole that lead to who-knows where. There appeared to be another path in the wall on the other side of the hole, but there was no way to get to it.

A buzzing noise greeted them as they entered the throat and they quickly looked up to see a floating jellyfish with electrified tentacles.

"That's a Biri!" Navi warned as it approached. "It uses electricity to heat the air and fly and it will also shock and burn you if you're not careful!" Link shot it with the slingshot, but it shrugged it off.

"Din's Fire!" Lucius shot it with a fireball as it dived at them, but it was only charred and backed off a little to buzz in annoyance.

"Humph!" Tetran cut it in two with a fin boomerang and its corpse fell below. Continuing on, they soon arrived in the stomach. Fortunately, it wasn't full of acid, as they still had ten hours left until digestion would start. "Careful!" He gestured to the odd vacuoles, for lack of a better term, that were on the floor. One was filled with an odd, disgusting, pulsating green thing.

"You!" a Zora girl, around Link's age, shouted from near one of the holes. The party went over to her, carefully avoiding the holes. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"I'm Link," Link introduced himself.

"I'm Navi!" Navi added in.

"I am Lucius, your highness," the mage bowed. "Your father requested that we come and save you,"

"I'd never ask anyone to do such a thing!" Ruto objected haughtily. "And what are _you_ doing here, Tetran?"

"I'm saving your sorry butt," he retorted coolly, giving her a cold look. "Now, come! We're getting you out of here, like it or not!"

"I can't go home right now! Get out of here!" she objected, jumping down a nearby hole.

"Ruto!" Link and Navi shouted.

"Idiot…" Tetran muttered, turning away with his arms crossed.

"I'm going after her!" Link made to jump into the hole.

"That wouldn't be wise!" Lucius grabbed his shoulder. "We should find another way down,"

"There," Tetran pointed across the room to a gross web of hardened mucous.

"That's just gross," Link fought the urge to retch.

"Well, then go ahead and break your legs jumping," Navi retorted. "I'm going this way," she flew off. Tetran and Lucius headed that way, too. Link looked back and forth, weighing his options, and then followed them, too.

The room below consisted of a pool of water, in the bottom, and two platforms, each leading somewhere else via pathway. A couple of Biri were chasing Ruto around and she was screaming her head off.

"Don't just stand there! Help!" she shouted, running in circles to avoid the assault, as they got off of the mucous vines and onto the ledge that she was on.

"Din's Fire!" Lucius and Link both shouted. The fireballs caught one of the Biri and charred it, making it fall with a wet thud. Tetran cut the other asunder with one of this fin boomerangs. Link reeled a little and held his head.

"Are you all right?" Lucius asked.

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy," he shook his head. "So that's what magic feels like,"

"Are you still hanging around here?" Ruto complained, glaring at Tetran. "I told you to go away!" He didn't reply, but stared coldly at her.

"No offence, but I think that you might be in danger with all of these Biri and whatnot around," Link responded.

"I'm okay," Ruto insisted. "I've been going inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly since I was little but…" She looked around. "Lord Jabu-Jabu is very strange today. There are electrified jellyfish and strange holes around. On top of that, my precious stone was…" She paused and resumed an angry countenance. "But that's none of your business! You!" She pointed at them. "Go home now! Understand?"

"We can't just leave you in here," Lucius replied. "What if you don't get out by sunset or a monster kills you?"

"You're that worried about me?" she sighed. "Fine, then I'll give you the honor of my company. However…I won't leave until I find the thing that I'm looking for. You'd better believe me!"

"Let's get going, then," Tetran exhaled in annoyance. "I don't want to die here because of a spoiled little girl,"

"How dare you?" Ruto shouted, walking after him as he proceeded forward into the next tunnel.

"Man, she's pushy," Navi commented as she, Link, and Lucius began walking too. "Nothing like Princess Zelda,"

"Royalty comes in all kinds of flavors," Lucius commented. "We'll just have to bear with her, for now,"

A few odd bubbles came floating at them as they progressed. One knocked into Link and popped, coating him with a mildly corrosive acid.

"Ow! This stings!" he desperately tried to wipe it off on his gloves.

"Yeah, those bubbles are leftover acid from the last digestion," Ruto informed him conceitedly. "You may want to pop them from a distance,"

"Now you tell me…" Link muttered, his skin now an irritated red. Presently, they found another room with a pool, a few bubbles floating around, and some dangerous-looking fish swimming in the water, though they could only see their fins above the surface.

"Watch out for the Stingers!" Navi warned. "They'll jump at you from under the water, and their bites hurt!" Tetran fired his fins into the water, cutting through all of the Stingers, while Lucius destroyed the bubbles with Farore's Wind. They swam across, Link, once again, disliking the slimy water, and they clambered out on the other side. Entering another tunnel, they soon came out on a ledge that was next to a pool of water. A fleshy pillar rose up and down from the pool, much like the stone pillars from Dodongo's Cavern.

"I'd bet that this leads back to the part of the throat that we went through earlier," Lucius deduced.

"Of course it does," Ruto confirmed arrogantly. "I would know,"

"Yeah, yeah, come on," Tetran ushered them impatiently onto the platform and it ascended back to the area that they had passed through to enter the stomach. Hopping back onto the curving path, they proceeded back to the stomach.

"I think that we should check out the intestines," Ruto suggested haughtily. "See that pathway over there?" She pointed to it. So they maneuvered around the vacuoles and made their way over, but a large Biri fell from the ceiling as they drew near. Tetran fired a fin boomerang, cutting it asunder, but three smaller Biri came from it's saclike body, diving at them. They all jumped aside, except for Ruto. Link had to pull her with him.

"Unhand me!" she demanded. He immediately released her wrist as Lucius and Tetran mopped up the Biri.

"Well, excuse me," Link grumbled. Seeing the threat was eliminated, he was the first to continue towards the intestine area.

Several strange worms with blue, electrified ball chains for bodies and a three-pronged head came flying out of the floor as they entered the pulsating hallway. Link tried to cut one of them, but was shocked for his trouble until Tetran killed the offender with his fin boomerang.

"Those are Tailpasarans," Navi informed him as Lucius administered some first aid. "They can't be harmed directly, so you need something like magic or a boomerang,"

"Thanks for the warning," he whispered, giving her a mean look. The fairy smiled apologetically.

"There's only one way to go," Tetran observed, looking down the right fork. "The others are blocked by parasitic growths," Link looked a little green as he and Lucius walked back to the two Zora, having been moved by the shifting floor. Ruto was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Can we hurry this up?" she complained, leading the way into the large chamber that Tetran had indicated.

The room was full of Stingers, all burrowing, somehow, below the fleshing surface of the area. Tetran ran out into the middle of the room, luring them all out, and whipped out his axe and buckler, making short work of many Stingers. Lucius fired light bolts at several, annihilating them in a flash, as Link protected Ruto by slashing apart any that decided to stray near. Finally, all of the foes were dead and they looked around the room.

"Is there even anything here?" Link questioned no one in particular.

"Yes," Navi floated around something that was lodged in the wall. "Look at this!" They all went over to it and Link grabbed the yellow object, pulling it out. It was a curved piece of wood, painted yellow and adorned with a red jewel in the crook.

"It's a boomerang," Lucius observed. "I wonder why and how it came to be in here,"

"The same way anything does," Ruto said brusquely. "Now, let's move!"

The party returned to the moving hallway, turning to the right and taking the path that they had noticed but ignored, earlier, as Ruto had bypassed it before it could be mentioned. It led to another chamber, but this one had a gross, green slimy tentacle thing hanging from the ceiling.

"This place is getting grosser by the second," Link groaned, fighting the urge to retch.

"This weird thing is really strong, but you can beat it with boomerangs and magic," Navi explained. "It also seems to be controlling the weird growth around here, too, so they may die if we get rid of this one!" It suddenly noticed them and took a hard swing at the group. They dispersed, Ruto running out to hide in the hallway, and Link and Tetran both launched boomerang assaults. The sharp projectiles damaged the tentacle quite badly and left it open for when Lucius finished cutting it down with a wind blade. The tentacle flopped on the ground for a while before shriveling and dying.

"Too easy," Tetran turned and started to head out.

"Where are you going?" Navi called after him.

"The stomach," he said without stopping. They looked at each other and ran after him.

The green, pulsating growth was gone, now, allowing another vacuole to be accessed.

"Judging by its positioning, I'd say that this leads to the far ledge of the room that we climbed down to," Lucius reasoned. "Well, I guess there's nothing for it. We'll have to-" Tetran had already walked over and hopped into the hole. Link, Ruto, and Navi imitated him rather quickly. "Why do I bother to try to explain?" he muttered to himself, going over and hopping in, as well.

"Ow…" Link held his ankle as Lucius landed, crouching to regain his balance.

"It looks like you _did_ hurt yourself," Navi mentioned as Lucius healed the boy again.

"Well, I guess I was doing to well today," Link grumbled, standing. Tetran and Ruto didn't wait for any more ado and started forward again, prompting them to follow.

They arrived in a tall chamber with shallow water at the bottom. In the center was a platform with spikes sticking out of it and, atop it, was…

"That's it!" Ruto shouted, pointing. "That's what I've been looking for!" She scrambled up, using the spikes, to grab a jewel with three blue gems, set in a gold setting that made the ensemble form the Zora emblem. "Oh my goodness!" she cradled the jewel. "I finally found…my mother's stone. I got very upset when Lord Jabu-Jabu swallowed it,"

"How could you be so careless with that artifact?" Tetran seethed, clenching his fists.

"Like _you _would care!" she retorted before turning to Link. "I don't need to be in here anymore, so take me home, right now!"

"Gladly!" Link said as she started towards the edge of the platform, but, suddenly, it gave a lurch and a fleshy pillar underneath pushed it into the ceiling.

"What in the Dark World?" Tetran hissed. Ruto screamed loudly in the room above.

"What is this? An octopus?" she shrieked. They heard nothing else.

"Ruto! Are you-" Lucius was cut off as the platform descended and revealed a large Octorok. It jumped at them, forcing them to jump out of the way, and began chasing Link. Tetran fired a fin boomerang at it, causing it to scream and spin around, leaving its glowing, green weak spot exposed to Link. He drove his dagger into it, resulting in a spray of blue blood and a scream as it charged at Tetran and Lucius, its protective skin closing over the weak point. The mage fired a bolt of light at the monster, making it scream and reveal the weak spot again. Link stabbed again and the big Octorok collapsed with a loud squeak. Tetran spat on its corpse and then climbed up on the platform.

"Come on! You don't want that brat eaten, do you?" he snapped.

"Of course not!" Link scrambled onto the platform. Lucius did too. "So, how do you know her, anyway?" Link asked as the platform rose. The Zora gave him such a fiercely repelling look that he took a step back and let it drop.

The platform stuck in a hole in the floor of the above chamber, allowing them to disembark. Several more Biri came at them, tendrils aglow with electricity, but Tetran cut them down with his boomerangs. The next area had a pool of water and two strange, red things sticking out of it, seemingly leading to another ledge. An Octorock came out of the water and shot a rock at them, but was quickly killed by Link's boomerang.

"You can stun those things with a boomerang strike," Navi said as Tetran did just that. "Never mind," They used the stunned things to get to the other ledge. The next room resembled the throat, but, this time, they were sure that they were in the upper part. Tetran exhaled as he jumped over to a ledge that seemed to have no purpose.

"Come on," Lucius nodded to Link as he followed. Link did the same and the platform started to slide rapidly down, finally coming to a stop in the middle, next to the pathway that had been inaccessible when they had entered.

"So that's how it works," Link commented as they proceeded on. The next chamber had a shallow amount of water, and also several more Biri. Boomerangs made quick work of them. They, next, headed up a nearby ramp, coming to a valve-type door.

"I think that the big parasite is through here," Tetran muttered, kicking the valve. It opened enough to allow admittance. They proceeded into the dark room.

"This room isn't luminescent like the others," Lucius whispered, lighting his staff.

"What's that?" Navi exclaimed as they heard an ominous electrical crackle. They quickly spotted the jolts of electricity in the center of the room. The walls suddenly became luminescent enough for them to see a massive anemone, covered with large Biri and attached to the ceiling with three tentacles, through which lumps seemed to be going.

"So this is the parasite that Ganondorf put in Jabu-Jabu to punish the Zora for not giving him the stone," Lucius declared.

"Help!" a muffled scream came from inside the monster.

"It ate Ruto!" Link shouted, grimacing.

"That's the Bio-Electric Sea Anemone, Barinade!" Navi shouted as it aimed its three free tentacles, whose ends looked like dishes of some sort with a spike in the middle, at them and unleashed three torrents of potent electricity. Link and Tetran attacked with boomerangs as Lucius shot a fireball. This seemed to do little and was only retaliated with more electricity. They jumped out of the way again as the large Biri detached from Barinade's body and began to spin towards them, still attached to the boss with streams of electricity. Tetran struck Barinade's unprotected body with a fin boomerang and it slumped, stunned. He took the opportunity to cut its nutrient-draining tentacles from the roof while Lucius and Link attacked with vicious slashes and stalagmites, respectively. Barinade quickly recovered, though, and called its Biri back, causing Link to take a shock as he was bowled over. Pulling itself up, the anemone began to spin around the room like a top while its upper part remained stationary and fired streams of electricity at them.

"Restore!" Lucius healed Link, but got struck by a stream of lightning and went flying back, jolts jumping around on his person.

"Lucius!" Link ran over to the downed mage while Tetran dodged Barinade's Biri as they separated again and came at him. He did a backflip and hit the main body with a boomerang strike before using several more to eliminate the Biri with a vengeance. "I'll help you! Hang on!" Link slipped on the Restore Ring and placed a hand on the mage's chest. "Okay! Restore!" His hand glowed blue and the mage was briefly encompassed with a blue light. His eyes snapped open and he jumped up.

"Thanks!" he summoned a barrier and blocked another stream of lightning as Barinade slapped Tetran away as he tried to hit the main body with his axe. Link ran in an arc, avoiding another stream, and threw his boomerang at the main body, stunning it. Tetran jumped up, a burn on one side of his face, and ran at Barinade, flipping gracefully sideways to avoid a shot of lightning, and drove his axe into the boss's side.

"Lightning!" Lucius shot a bolt of light into the boss's body. It writhed and bloated, prompting them to retreat, and then it exploded into a gory mess, showering green blood everywhere.

"Ugh…" a green-covered figure stirred in the mess, clutching a glowing blue stone. "This is so gross…" she sat up as the party came over. "What took you so long? You're useless!" she sniffed. "I was just lonely, that's all…just a little!"

"Well, let's get out of here," Lucius sighed in resignation as a ring of blue light appeared nearby. Ruto got up and accompanied them to the portal.

In a flash of blue light, they were suddenly on an old tree trunk that was bent above the water in Zora's Fountain, next to Jabu-Jabu. Link stumbled and fell in the water, being too close to the edge, and took Lucius with him.

"Link!" the mage said in mild annoyance.

"Sorry!" he apologized with a dorky smile.

"You're hopeless…" Navi remarked.

"Hey!" Link protested. Meanwhile, above, Ruto was averting her gaze from Tetran, being unusually demure.

"You were cool…cooler than I thought you were, anyway…Just a little!" she held her index finger and thumb close together for emphasis. "You saved me, so I guess I'll reward you,"

"Ruto, don't-" he started, looking annoyed and beginning to turn away.

"Just take it!" she grabbed his hand and gave it to him.

"I told you, I don't-" he started to growl, but she had already jumped off of the log and swam back over to where a soaked Link and Lucius were waiting near the way to the throne room. Tetran stared at the glowing gem, knowing what it meant. He shook his head and jumped off of the log, too.

"Thank you for helping to save me! You're always welcome here!" Ruto smiled at the two before running off to see her father.

"Hey!" Link called. "Wait a minute…" But she was already gone. "Now what?" he looked to Navi and Lucius. Tetran came out of the water, at this moment, holding the Zora's Sapphire. He walked over to them and forced it into Link's hands.

"Here," he grunted. "It's what you came for, isn't it?"

"Are you sure you want to give it to us?" Lucius asked, surprised. "By giving you this, Ruto proposed to-"

"I don't want her proposal," he hissed, turning away and crossing his arms. "You need it, you have it. Good-bye," he walked back through the throne room with an air of leaving and not turning back.

"Well, I guess he's gone," Navi said, at length. "Now we just need to get back to tell Zelda about this and get the Triforce!" Link's stomach growled.

"Okay, but, first, let's get something to eat! It's lunch time!" he scratched the back of his head.

"It is 13:23," Lucius pointed out.

"Whatever," Link waved his hand dismissively and lead them back inside.

They passed a rather upset-looking King Zora as they passed back through the throne room.

"Oh, hello," he greeted sadly. "Princess Ruto is unavailable right now," They didn't reply and quickly left, heading down the ramp.

"Should we eat at The Fresh Fish?" Link asked.

"Why not?" the mage shrugged.

"'ey! It's you guys!" the bartender greeted them as they entered. "Heard about how you saved the princess, but she seems kinda upset. What 'appened?"

"It seems that she proposed to someone, but he rejected her," Lucius replied lightly. "I would rather not discuss it. May we order some food?"

"Sure," he gestured to the menu behind him. "I'd stick to the stuff you're used to. Zora food can be odd for Hylians,"

They left the pub about an hour later, full of fish and Lon Lon Milk.

"What was that other milk that you and that guy wouldn't let me have?" Link inquired as they headed back towards the waterfall entrance.

"Chateau Romani," the mage answered. "It's an adult's beverage,"

"Why?" the boy pressed.

"Never mind," the mage deflected. "I'll tell you when you get a few years older,"

"Hmph," Link crossed his arms. Navi giggled.

"You remind me of Tetran!" she teased.

"Don't compare me to that guy!" Link muttered.

"Goddess-speed!" the Zora guards shouted as they went out.

The waterfall parted for them as they approached, and they were allowed to jump back to the winding path that led up.

"That doesn't bode well," Lucius looked up at the dark clouds beginning to appear. "We may have a storm soon," The wind blew around them as they made their way down. They walked back the way they had come before, easily dispatching Octoroks and making their way back to Hyrule Field.

"The clouds look like they're mainly around the castle," Navi observed worriedly. "I hope that Zelda is okay!"

"This sounds just like her dream," Link said quietly. "I wonder…"

"Let's hurry," Lucius put a hand on his shoulder and then they raced through the shallows, heading for the bridge over the river.

* * *

><p><strong>The story is about to get a bit more serious, as we're about to get to the future! Yay! R&amp;R.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Now for a sad chapter full of the fall of Hyrule and its grim future. I own nothing!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Ganondorf, The Temple of Time, and The Future of Hyrule <strong>

Rain began to come down as the trio came to the drawbridge. It was up, something that was unusual, as it wasn't quite sunset yet.

"Wait…I remember this!" Link exclaimed, the images from his nightmares coming back. Lightning struck in the distance as the drawbridge began to slowly clank down until it was in place. Link could hear hoofs beating on the road, drawing steadily closer.

"There's a white horse coming! Out of the way!" Lucius pulled Link aside as Impa and Zelda came streaming by on the horse.

"Link!" Zelda struggled to look back as she shouted and then hurtled something past them. It landed in the moat with a plop.

"Zelda, no!" Impa reprimanded, pushing the princess back in front of her. Link and Lucius watched the horse vanish in the darkness, but turned when they heard another set of hoofs coming.

"Stop!" Steve jumped in front of the horse, aiming his spear, but was blasted aside in a flash of light. He smashed into the wall and slid down, leaving a trail of blood, and collapsed on the ground.

"No!" Link shouted as Ganondorf came into view on his black horse. He reined it to a halt and looked around.

"Arrrrgh! I've lost her!" he shouted, clenching his fist. He suddenly looked at Link and his companion. "You, over there! You must have seen the white horse gallop past just now…Which way did it go?"

"Ganondorf!" Lucius stepped forward, an expression of unabashed hatred on his young features.

"Ah, Lucius, we meet again," the Gerudo leader sneered. "Do you and the boy earnestly think that you can protect them from me?" He chuckled malevolently. "You've got guts," Link drew his sword, ready to fight.

"Din's Fire!" Lucius fired a fireball at Ganondorf while Link threw a boomerang. He deflected both with little effort and the spell exploded, leaving a scorch mark, on the wall of the castle. He chuckled again.

"You want a piece of me?" he raised his hand and fired two spheres of magical energy at them.

"Look out!" Navi screamed as the deadly attack flew at them. Lucius jumped aside, allowing one of the balls to explode harmlessly on the ground, but Link was too scared from the memories of his dreams and got hit head-on. He went flying and was sprawled on the ground, jolt of energy jumping all over his battered body. "Link!" the fairy hovered over him, worried more than ever.

"Pathetic fools! I am Ganondorf, and, soon I will rule the world!" he spurred his horse and rode off. Lucius fired a parting bolt of light, but it was deflected away too.

"Blast!" the mage hissed, looking down at Link's prone figure. He crouched next to him. "He's been hit hard. Ganondorf's magic is nothing to laugh about,"

"Can you heal him?" Navi asked, close to tears.

"I'll try," he sighed, looking over to Steve. "Navi, go get someone to help me with that guard,"

"Okay!" she flew off. Lucius looked at the sky, rain falling on his face.

"Curse you…Ganondorf…" he whispered.

* * *

><p>Link awoke, some time later, in a bed. He tried to sit up, but his head reeled and he fell back to his pillow.<p>

"Where am I?" he whispered.

"You're in the Hyrule Castle Town Inn," Navi said, crying with joy as she flew over. "Lucius said that you might not make it, even with his magic,"

"Lucius…" he groaned and closed his eyes, turning his head a little. "Where is he?"

"He's with…with Steve," the fairy whispered.

"Is he okay?" the boy asked, dreading the answer.

"We don't know," the fairy sniffed. "Lucius told me that you had a better chance because you're strengthened by the Great Fairies and protected by refracting armor, but Steve is just a normal man with some training…" Link rubbed his eyes, trying to hold back his own tears.

"He was the first friend I made outside the forest. I hope that he pulls through," he sniffled.

"Go back to sleep, I'll tell you the news," Navi promised.

* * *

><p>Link woke up again to the voice of Lucius. He sat up and saw the mage, haggard and tired, sitting at the room's dining table, talking with Navi.<p>

"Oh, you're awake," the mage said lightly, getting up and walking over. "Steve will be all right, but he won't be on duty anymore,"

"Why?" Link asked, not sure he wanted to hear this, either.

"The magic did some irreparable damage to his body," Lucius explained, sitting down on the other bed and looking more exhausted and emotional than Link had ever seen him. "He was foolish to try and stop Ganondorf, but I respect his courage,"

"Can we go see him?" Link inquired, trying to get up, but his body was reluctant.

"Not yet," Lucius shook his head, looking up at him with veiled regret. "You have not fully recovered yet, and he still needs a lot of rest before he can have a lot of visitors," He got up and fetched some food from his bag. "Here," he handed Link some bread and cheese and set a cup of milk by the bed. "Eat and then go back to sleep. I'll work on you more in morning,"

* * *

><p>All in all, it was a week before Link could even get out of bed and, even then, Lucius insisted that he take red medicine twice a day to restore his strength. Al sent a card to him, wishing that he get better and apologizing that he couldn't get time off to visit, as all of the guards now had been assigned extra duty. Link finally got to visit Steve on the ninth day.<p>

"Hey," the guard said weakly as the boy entered the room with Lucius and Navi. "I hear that you got hurt, too,"

"Not as much as you," Link replied, trying to make a joke but failing.

"Heh…don't look at me like that," Steve wheezed. "I kinda brought this on myself, what with making fun of you and all…but I'm the one that wasn't cut out for being the hero…"

"You showed more courage than any other soldier, that night," Lucius reassured him. "Foolhardy though your efforts may have been, few men can boast about facing Ganondorf and living to tell the tale,"

"Ganondorf…" Steve repeated, as though the name left a bad taste in his mouth. "he betrayed our King. Zelda's nanny, Impa, seemed to predict it in time and escaped with her…" He looked at Link. "I was up at the castle, the other day, and the Princess told me…she was waiting for a boy from the forest…that's you…she wanted to give something to you. Do you have it?"

"I saw her throw something at us, but we haven't had the time to retrieve it yet," Lucius explained.

"Well, if you find it, go to the Temple of Time…" Steve gasped. "I'm going to sleep some more now…all this talking is making me tired…" He slumped back and closed his eyes, starting to breathe peacefully.

"He's fine," Lucius said, seeing Link and Navi's worried faces. "Let's go back to the inn. I trust the town doctor to take care of him,"

"But what about that thing that Zelda wanted us to have?" Navi questioned. "Shouldn't we retrieve it?"

"Do you think that it was the Ocarina of Time?" Link looked at Lucius.

"Probably," he stopped. "Go back to the room, I'll go check," He whisked off.

* * *

><p>By the time Link had eaten a little and settled himself in bed, a wet Lucius came back into the room.<p>

"I found it," he pulled a beautiful, blue ocarina out of his pocket. It was crafted well and had the emblem of the Triforce engraved on the mouthpiece. "Here," he handed it over to Link and it began to glow.

"Link…" Zelda's voice came from the instrument. "Can you hear me? It's me, Zelda…I recorded this message with what powers I have. I wanted to wait for you, but I couldn't delay any longer. The least I could do is leave you the Ocarina and this melody…" a short tune sounded from the ocarina. Link raised it to his mouth and slowly tried to copy it. He succeeded after a few attempts. "Now, Link. Play this melody in front of the altar in the Temple of Time. You must protect the Triforce!" The glow faded.

"Zelda…" Link muttered, staring at the Ocarina. "I promise, I'll stop Ganondorf!"

"Link…" Lucius turned away and went over to his bed. "Get some rest, we're going to the Temple of Time, tomorrow,"

"Finally, we can get the Triforce!" Navi said excitedly.

_I wonder if you can handle what will come?_ Lucius thought as he listened to his companions chat. _Ganondorf…is not so easily slain._

* * *

><p>The next morning, the trio ate breakfast and then left the inn, making their way for the prominent Temple of Time. Passing the potion shop, they ascended a short set of stairs and made their way up another short set as they entered the hallowed building.<p>

"Whoa," Link looked around the large room. It had many stained glass windows and another octagonal platform was near the entrance, also with a Triforce symbol in the middle. Their footsteps echoed as they approached the altar that sat before a massive door that had a Triforce symbol above it.

"There is writing here," Lucius commented, peering at the writing on the altar. "Ye who owns three Spiritual Stones, stand with the Ocarina of Time and play the Song of Time," Link pulled out the three jewels and looked at the three hollows on the altar. Each one was shaped like its corresponding jewel. He carefully placed each one in the correct slot and then pulled out the ocarina. Putting it to his lips, he played the tune that Zelda had left him. It echoed into silence and then the jewels began to glow. The Triforce emblem over the door, at first gray, now shined gold and the door slid open slowly, allowing them access to the chamber within.

"It actually opened," Link whispered. They crept up the stairs and passed through the door. A pedestal, reachable by a few shallow steps, came into view. Navi gaped at the fine blade that was lodged in the pedestal.

"Link, isn't that…?" she flew over to inspect it. "It's that legendary blade…"

"The Master Sword," Lucius finished with wonder. "Blade of Evil's Bane. Even Ganondorf cannot abide it," Link approached the blade.

"So, I have to pull it out?" he looked at the shimmering sword.

"Yes," Navi replied.

"Aren't we looking for the Triforce?" the boy looked at her.

"This may have something to do with it," Lucius deduced.

"Okay, here I go…" Link grabbed the hilt, steadying himself, and pulled upwards on the blade. It shifted easily and came out with a quiet 'shing'. Immediately, a column of blue light engulfed Link and Navi as the former stared up at it with a shocked expression. The column shrunk and then vanished, along with the boy, fairy, and sword.

"What?" Lucius exclaimed. There was another, golden, flash and the Triforce appeared where the sword had been. "The Triforce! Finally, I've found it!" He started towards it, but was halted when a ball of energy narrowly missed him.

"Excellent!" Ganondorf sneered, standing in the doorway. "As I thought, you held the keys to the Door of Time!"

"Curse you!" Lucius spun, voice full of venom. "I won't let you have this sacred relic!"

"You don't have much choice, Lucius," the Gerudo leader crossed his arms and laughed.

"_Sacred light, cast from the heavens and destroy_!" Lucius fired a blast of light energy from his staff. Ganondorf deflected it back with a swat of his hand. He deflected it back with his staff, but Ganondorf knocked it back with a punch that was charged with dark energy. Lucius was his in the face with light and dark and went flying, smashing into the back wall with a crack that was his armor breaking. He slid down and slumped over.

"I owe it all to you two," Ganondorf laughed as he approached the Triforce.

"Curse you to the deepest pits of…" his vision faded as a golden light engulfed Ganondorf.

* * *

><p>"Link…" the voice of an elderly man floated into Link's consciousness. "Wake up…Link, the chosen one…"<p>

"Five more minutes, Navi…" he grumbled, rolling over on…stone. His eyes shot open and he stood. He was in a room where waterfalls poured from nowhere. There was no floor or ceiling, apart from the watery platform that he seemed to be on. There were several colored emblems around the Triforce emblem that he was standing on. He continued to look around in awe until his eyes caught sight of an elderly man in a brown robe. He rubbed a finger under his mustache and spoke again. "I am Rauru, one of the ancient Sages. Ages ago, we ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm. This is the Chamber of the Sages, inside the Temple of Light…" He swept his arms in an all-encompassing gesture. "The Temple of Light, situated in the very center of the Sacred Realm, is the last stronghold against Ganondorf's evil forces,"

"Ganondorf's forces?" Link repeated, only to be shocked at the sound of his own voice. "What the-?" Rauru smirked a little with amusement.

"The Master Sword, the evil-destroying sword that you pulled out of the Pedestal of Time, was the final key to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. Link, don't be alarmed. Look at yourself!" He examined his body and found it to be much larger and more mature than he remembered. Somehow, his armor was now larger to accommodate him. Navi, who had woken up in his hat, somehow, and been listening all this time, finally came out.

"Look, Link!" she exclaimed. "You're big now! You've grown up!"

"Yeah…but how?" Link said breathlessly.

"The Master Sword is a sacred blade which evil ones may never touch," Rauru continued. "Only one worthy of the title of 'Hero of Time' can pull it from the Pedestal of Time,"

"What does that have to-" Link was cut off by Rauru raising his hand.

"You were too young to be the Hero of Time," he explained. "Therefore, your spirit was sealed here for seven years. Now that you are old enough, the time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of Time!" He frowned. "But, remember this. Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace, Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm. He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light and, with its power, he became the King of Evil…"

"What? Why didn't Lucius stop him?" Link demanded.

"He tried, but to no avail. He was no match for Ganondorf," Rauru shook his head. "His evil power has radiated from the temples of Hyrule, and, in seven short years, it transformed Hyrule into a world of monsters. My power now has only little influence, even in this Sacred Realm; namely, this Chamber of Sages. There is still hope, though. The power of the Sages remains. When the power of all the Sages is awakened, the Sages' Seals will contain all of the evil power in the void of the Realm. I, Rauru, am one of the Sages, and your power to fight together with the Sages makes you the Hero of Time, chosen by the Master Sword! Keep my spirit with you and find the power of the other Sages. Add their might to your own!" He raised his arms and a golden medallion appeared in front of Link. He slowly reached up and took it. Immediately, it vanished and Link felt a dormant power in him be unleashed.

* * *

><p>The next thing he and Navi knew, they were back in the Temple of Time, next to the pedestal, and a pillar of blue light was fading.<p>

"Link…" Navi whispered in the dim room. "We're back in the Temple of Time…but have seven years really passed?"

"It seems like it," he looked up at the windows. "There hardly seems to be much light anymore, and I can feel the aura of evil,"

"That is the power that you have received from the Sages and the Master Sword," a rough voice said from behind him. He spun and pulled out his weapon, which happened to be the Master Sword, now, and his shield, which was just a tiny buckler now. The woman didn't even flinch. She wore a jumpsuit that comprised of purple and black, but with the emblem of the Sheikah painted on the torso. Strips of cloth were bound about her arms as bracers and a cowl hid most of her face. On her head were more strips of cloth, allowing only a few golden locks to frame her face. Her crimson eyes fixed upon him as she faced his blade with no concern.

"Who are you?" Navi demanded.

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time," the woman replied, ignoring the question. She paused. "When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those, destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples. One in a deep forest, one on a high mountain, one under a vast lake, one within the house of the dead, and one inside a goddess of the sand. Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world. This is the legend of the temples passed down by my people, the Sheikah. I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah,"

"Oh, well, nice to meet you," Link lowered his weapon.

"As I see you standing there, holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time," Sheik might have smiled a little. "You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages. One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know…" Link looked thoughtful at this. "But, because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm. Another unfortunate fact is that you cannot enter the temple, equipped as you currently are. If you believe me, though, you should head to Kakariko Village. I believe that the mage, Lucius may still be there,"

"Lucius is alive?" Link looked very happy and relieved. Sheik nodded.

"Ganondorf decided to spare his life, seven years ago, and, ever since, he and I have traveled this waning land, trying to curb the tide of evil," the Sheikah confided. "We have not been wholly successful, but some people still thank us to this day," She stepped forward. "As the land is now so dangerous, no one should travel alone. I will accompany you,"

"Yet another joins the motley crew, huh?" Navi sighed. "Well, this one doesn't seem to pose much of a threat, so I won't raise any objections,"

* * *

><p>They strode out of the room, passing the altar on their way out of the dimly lit temple.<p>

"There is ever a gloom over this place, now," Sheik commented. "It pains me to see what has become of this town,"

"What happened?" Link frowned, feeling some dread.

"You'll see soon enough," Sheik answered a bit mournfully. As they descended the steps, Link quickly saw that the city was quite barren and there was an eerie red glow on the area.

"Link! Death Mountain! Look!" Navi shouted. He turned and saw the clouds around the summit. They were flaming red, a sure sign that the mountain was not at peace.

"That cloud has been that way for many a moon, now," Sheik noted. "We will rectify it, in due time. Let us go," They continued into the square, seeing devastation everywhere they looked. Link looked around, horrified, at the ruined buildings and aged corpses in the streets. Some were cruelly hewn, others filled with arrows or sporting a spear through the torso.

"Many soldiers died here in the Great Evacuation," Sheik said sadly. "The King wanted everyone that could be saved to be saved, but not everyone made it…" She continued towards the town exit. "The remaining people are in Kakariko and other scattered villages," She turned and looked at Link. "Come on, we don't have time to mourn in the ruins of the past," Link forced his legs to move again, though they felt like lead. In time, they were passing the gatehouse.

"Hey, there's a light coming from here," Link pointed out the ajar door.

"That is where the Poe Salesman lives," Sheik explained. "I believe that he was once a guard, but has since become…" She trailed off as a short man in a cloak hobbled out with a large stick.

"Ah, Link, it's been a while," the man said in a wheezy voice. "I've been so lonely without Steve,"

"Al?" Navi inquired, shocked.

"Heh, heh, heh…good to see you again," he chuckled. "I'm glad I studied Poes, since there are so many nowadays. If you find any, trap them in a bottle or something and bring them here for top rupee,"

"I'll keep that in mind," Link agreed. Al chuckled a little more, coughed, and retreated into the gatehouse. "So Steve still died,"

"Yes, as did many others," Sheik nodded.

* * *

><p>They crossed the fallen and broken drawbridge, stepping out onto Hyrule Field. Guays soared around everywhere, now, and living skeletons stalked around, looking for someone to attack with their sharp claws. Massive creatures with spinning blades soared around, destroying the scenery. The field was now a wasteland.<p>

"This is horrible…" Navi commented in horror.

"Famine, death, and destruction are rampant," Sheik explained. "People try to cope by fighting or hiding, but some don't survive at all," Link clenched his fist.

"Ganondorf…" he growled.

"Come on, we need to move before we have every monster in the area on us," the Sheikah pressed, continuing over to the broken bridge to Kakariko. Hopping the gap, they proceeded through a group of Stalchildren, as Navi identified the skeletons, easily making short work of them, and headed into the village.

"Who's there?" a frightened guy in rusted armor asked from atop the gate.

"I'm Link!" the hero waved. "Could you let us in? I'm looking for Lucius,"

"Lucius is at the inn," the former guard answered, put off a bit by Link's overt lack of being careworn. "I guess you can come in. You don't look evil," He turned the winch enough for them to enter. After they did so, he quickly turned it shut again.

"The clock guard has certainly seen better days," Navi commented.

"Seven years of hell and the fall of your kingdom will do that," Sheik said wryly.

"Sorry…" Navi muttered.

As they passed by the tree that was growing near the village entrance, now larger from seven years of growth, they spotted the men in red and blue, respectively, they now had mustaches. The man in blue was laughing wildly at the man in red. As they party passed by, he turned to Link.

"Look at this guy!" he pointed at his cohort. "Ever since he escaped from Hyrule Castle Town, he's become even more timid!" Sheik rolled her eyes at this levity and turned away, crossing her arms impatiently.

"I tell you, I saw him!" the guy in red protested.

"Who?" Link inquired.

"I saw the ghostly figure of Dampé, the grave keeper, sinking into his grave. It looked like he was holding some kind of treasure!"

"Oh…well…" Link glanced at Sheik. "We have somewhere to be. Bye!" He waved and proceeded towards the inn with Sheik. The building had added another floor in the seven years past, as many more people had come and needed accommodations. The place was more of a boarding house, now, but was still called an inn by habit.

"That sounds like a good clue," she noted, glancing over at the hero. "We should check that out,"

"Okay," Link nodded. "But, first, let's check for Lucius,"

* * *

><p>"Hello," a hassled-looking woman greeted them as they entered. They approached the counter.<p>

"Have you seen a blonde man in a robe here, lately?" Link asked. "He's called Lucius,"

"Hmm…" she opened her register and looked through the names. "Lucius…he's been staying in Room 8, but he isn't always here. In fact, he went out, this morning, and I haven't seen him since,"

"I wonder where he went?" Navi pondered aloud.

"Well, tell him that Link and Sheik are looking for him, if he comes back," Sheik remarked. "Come on, Link," She turned to him. "Let's check out Dampé's grave,"

"So you heard the ghost rumors too?" the innkeeper woman questioned. "Well, I don't know much about it,"

"Miriam!" an old man appeared as he came down the nearby stairs. "Talon's keeping me up again, and I need to…achoo!" He sneezed into a handkerchief.

"I'll see what I can do," she bustled out from behind the counter and up the stairs.

"Talon is staying here?" Link asked Sheik as the party walked out the door. "I thought that he lived at Lon Lon Ranch?"

"Ganondorf took the ranch from him and gave it to Ingo in exchange for his loyalty," Sheik elucidated. "From what I've heard, he isn't very kind to the animals, but he seems to treat Malon with a little bit more dignity. Maybe he has some morals, or it might be something else…"

"The more I hear, the more I hate him!" Navi stated angrily.

"Not half as much as me…" Sheik muttered under her breath, walking ahead.

* * *

><p>"So this is Dampé's grave?" Link crouched down at the newer-looking tombstone that was next to an old house, near the cemetery entrance. "Yep, his name's on it,"<p>

"The question is, how to get inside?" Navi pointed out. Sheik tapped her boot on the ground, causing it to crack a little.

"It looks fragile. Perhaps we can get in by breaking through," she suggested. Link pulled out a bomb, lit it, and put it down. "That's a bit extreme…" The Sheikah said, backing away with Link.

"It's the best way, though," he grinned. The bomb went off with an explosion, leaving a hole in front of the, now charred, tombstone.

"After you," Sheik made an arm sweep at the hole. Link shrugged and went forward, hopping in.

"Ow!" he grumbled, standing up from falling on his butt, rubbing the area in question. Sheik gracefully fell after him, landing lightly on her feet without injury. "No fair…" the hero whined. They looked quickly over as they heard a dry, rasping laugh.

"Young man, young lady, are you fast on your feet?" the pale, brown-clad man asked. He was floating in midair with a white ring over his head and a lantern in his hand.

"Are you Dampé?" Link asked him.

"Yes," he nodded. "I may not look like it, but I'm confident in my speed! Let's have a race! Follow me, if you dare!"

"Wait a minute!" Link called, but the ghost was already floating away at high speeds. The hero accepted his predicament and took off after him, Sheik in pursuit. They followed him through twists and turns, finally culminating in having to run up a circular ramp that went around a bottomless shaft. At the top, they narrowly slipped through a stone door before it fell shut and came to a room with a small altar, topped with two burning braziers. A chest was between the braziers.

"You were very quick to be able to keep up with me!" Dampé cackled.

"Yeah, quick…" Link panted, hands on his upper legs. Sheik didn't seem much bothered by all the running.

"As a reward, I'm going to give you my treasure!" he pointed to the chest. "It's called the Hookshot! Its spring-loaded chain will pull you to any spot where its hook sticks. Doesn't that sound cool?"

"Yeah, actually," Link agreed, standing up straight and looking at him.

"I live here now, so come back again sometime…" he cackled. "One more thing! Be careful on your way back!" He vanished in a burst of blue flame, his laughter echoing eerily away.

"That guy's creepy," Navi observed with a little shudder as Link opened the chest and pulled out a blue device with a triangular handle, holding a trigger, at one end and a pointed hook at the other.

"Well, that is definitely what you need to enter the Forest Temple," Sheik noted. "We just need to leave, now,"

"The main way out is through that doorway," Navi hovered over to the only passable path in the chamber. The party walked through it, barely able to see by the braziers in the previous room and Navi's glow, when they came to a large, blue block.

"Great, how do we get this out of the way?" Link punched it, to little avail.

"Wait, Link, this block has the same engraved symbols as the Door of Time…" the fairy observed, floating next to the aforementioned symbols. "Maybe they move the same way?" Sheik already had her lyre out and was strumming the Song of Time. The block was, promptly, engulfed in a pillar of blue light and vanished. The party climbed up the short ledge beyond and went up a short flight of stairs to find themselves in the windmill, if the large, wind-powered grinder and bags of flour and wheat were any indication.

An ill-tempered man, playing a manual phonograph, was supervising the operation.

"What are you doing here?" he growled as they jumped down from the high ledge and walked over to him. "This place is for grinding wheat!"

"Why are _you_ so mad?" Link asked, taken aback at the rudeness and a bit annoyed, actually.

"Seven years ago, some kid with an ocarina messed the windmill up with some tune and now the well is dried up!" he snarled.

"The townspeople have to catch rainwater or risk getting water from the river in Hyrule Field," Sheik added.

"Yes, and it's all his fault!" the man growled, playing a tune on his phonograph.

"Hey, I think that I can copy that," Link pulled out his ocarina and played the tune. Surprisingly, he didn't mess up, this time. Immediately, they heard thunder outside and the windmill's grinder began to spin too fast, burning the wheat.

"You did it again!" he took a swipe at Link, who jumped away. "I'm gonna mess you up!"

* * *

><p>The party burst out of the windmill's entrance as the enraged man came after them with a rusty machete. Sheik turned and tripped him with a chain whip that she seemed to pull from nowhere and they kept running until they were back at the inn.<p>

"Busy as usual, huh?" a voice asked. They turned and saw a familiar face. Lucius looked quite more careworn and mature than before, but also seemed to exude a greater aura and his gaze was keener. His hair was longer, now falling to mid-back, and his scale robe and boots were quite weather-beaten now. "Long time, no see, Link,"

"Lucius!" Link embraced him. "I heard that you got beaten by Ganondorf and thought that you might be hurt, but Rauru said that you were fine, so I-"

"Slow down, Link," the mage said patiently, with a touch of laughter, trying feebly to pry the hero off. "Let's go up to my room and discuss this in a rational manner,"

"So you need to go to the Forest Temple, now?" the mage concluded. "All right, I will accompany you. Ganondorf's reign has to be ended, for the good of everyone. Not to mention, I still have a score to settle…" He stood. "Shall we be on our way?"

"Well, before that, I want to go to Lon Lon Ranch," Link stated, also standing. "I want to see what Ingo's done to the place. Maybe we can help,"

"It's natural to want to help the people, but we need to hurry to the temples," Sheik commented from her leaning spot on the wall. "Of course, the ranch is a valuable supply base, so freeing it could help our quest," She shrugged. "Do what you want, hero,"

"It's settled, then," Navi declared. "Lon Lon Ranch, here we come!"

* * *

><p><strong>So everything has gone to heck. The hero is a bright flame of hope in the darkness that is Hyrule and...anyway, R&amp;R.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the chapter in which they liberate the ranch. I own nothing!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Trouble at the Ranch, Ingo's Greed, and Echoes from the Woods<strong>

"You know, Sheik, I can tell you're not a guy," Link commented as they descended the stairs to Hyrule Field. The Sheikah cast him a sharp look. He held up his hands defensively.

"What's your point, Link?" Lucius asked with a slightly cocked eyebrow.

"Well, most women have…I don't know…bigger chests. In my experience, anyway," the hero scratched the back of his head modestly, his cheeks a little pink. Sheik's little exposed skin turned a deep red and she made an annoyed sound, promptly punching Link across the face, before walking ahead in an agitated fashion that was most unlike her. He picked himself up, rubbing his cheek, where a bruise was starting to form, and looked after her with a puzzled look, his eyes watering slightly from pain. "Was it something I said?" he muttered.

"Link, most women think it rather brutish to talk about their chests like that," Lucius sighed. "I can see that your mental age being behind your physical age is going to be a bother,"

"But why would women be worried about their chests?" Navi inquired, confused. "Fairies only worry about being able to produce milk for their young, not the size of their-"

"Hylians are vain," the mage cut across her. "To put it bluntly. Not to mention that each one has different things that they are vain about. It's natural, but it causes quite the misunderstandings,"

"I hate to interrupt, but we have company," Sheik called back to them as a few Peahats came their way. Link pulled out his boomerang and threw it, to little effect, as it just bounced off of the spinning blades.

"I'll handle this," Lucius stepped forward. "_Ruby flames of power, arise and incinerate mine enemies to ashes! _Ruby Fire!" Crimson flames flew outward from his staff, forming a wave, and crashed into the oncoming Peahats, burning them to a crisp. Their corpses crashed, immobile, to the ground and in the river.

"Whoa!" Link and Navi exclaimed.

"You've been practicing," Link said, impressed.

"Come on, no time for patting ourselves on the back," Sheik reprimanded as more enemies could be seen coming. "Your little lightshow attracted some company," They jumped to the other side of the river and readied themselves to face the onslaught of Stalchildren and Guays. Link slashed through several of the skeletons as they came, jumping back to avoid the diving strikes of several Guays.

"Farore's Gale!" Lucius fired a mini-tornado from his staff, sucking up several of the birds and skeletons and shredding them to pieces. Sheik dodged gracefully around a slash from one of the bigger Stalchildren and wrapped her whip around its neck. Jumping off, she pulled the skeleton around her in an arc, clearing out two dozen Stalchildren, and almost her companions, before hurling it away by releasing the nimble chain and letting it fly into an oncoming Peahat. The Peahat was destabilized by the impact and Link followed it up by using his Hookshot to hook onto the head and drive the Master Sword into its tiny brain. The Peahat flew around madly and then finally crashed in a heap. Link jumped off of the twitching corpse and put twirled his blade before putting it away.

"Nothing to it!" he said cockily, rubbing a finger under his nose. Sheik rolled her eyes and just started making her way to Lon Lon Ranch.

"That was cool!" Navi praised him. "You actually thought up a clever way to use that Hookshot!"

"You sound surprised," Link replied with mock-hurt.

"Well, given your record…" Lucius noted slyly, passing by.

"Hey!" Link ran after him.

* * *

><p>A few more large Stalchildren were pacing around the closed gates of the ranch and many Guays still wheeled overhead.<p>

"Earthen Quake!" Lucius cried out, causing several Stalagmites to shoot up from the ground and strike through the skeletons, breaking them apart.

"Try these!" Link hurled several lit bombs into the fray, blowing asunder several more Stalchildren as they became aware of the threat and came running to attack. Sheik gave a humph as a few Guays decided to take place in the battle and came her way. She dodged them and punished their strikes with swipes of her chain whip. A smaller Stalchild came up behind her, but she easily backflipped over it, dodging its razor-sharp claws, wrapped her whip around its neck, landed, and smashed it into the wall of the ranch. It crumpled and she retracted the whip as a larger Stalchild came at her, only to die by one of Link's bombs.

"What's going on out there?" a woman's voice called from behind the gate.

"We're being attacked, here!" Link called back. "Could you let us in?"

"I'll have to ask Mr. Ingo!" the woman replied. "Try to hold on, please!"

"Easy for her to say…" Sheik grumbled as a few Peahats finished circling the ranch and spotted them.

"Wave Crest!" Lucius shouted, thrusting his staff at the oncoming Peahats to their right. A mighty wall of water rose from the ground and knocked the Peahats back, mildly irritating them as they shook the water off. Link Hookshotted himself onto one of the attackers on the left, much to its annoyance, and began to stab it in the head, causing it to fly around wildly, trying to shake him off. Sheik ran up the nearby wall, a little ways, and propelled herself through the air, landing neatly on another Peahat, and drove her Sheikah knife into it. "Farore's Gale!" Lucius fired a mini-tornado at the other group of Peahats as they drew closer. They fought the winds, but were damaged a little. "Ruby Fire!" A wave of flame caught them and burnt them to a crisp, allowing the mage to turn and see Link and Sheik jumping from their finally incapacitated foes to attack their mates. These creatures, obviously, weren't equipped to handle other, smaller opponents that could attack their heads. Quickly, enough, these two Peahats were dead too and Lucius torched the last one as it tried to avenge its comrades. Link was fortunate that he had hesitated to Hookshot onto it and Sheik, being quite the ninja, had seen the spell coming and stayed clear.

"What's going on, here?" the gate opened and Ingo came out, looking agitated, his mustache twitching. He now wore much better clothing, made of better cloth and with an elegant ruff on the collar. "Do you want something?"

"We'd like to enter to see your ranch and consider buying something from you," Lucius responded at once, cutting across Link's remark, which would have been, probably, much ruder.

"Fine, come on in…" the new ranch owner grumbled. He allowed them to pass through the gate, now reading Ingo's Ranch along the top, and then barred it again. "Can't be too careful…" He walked ahead of them and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Malon! Where are you? Come see to these idiots!" A red-haired woman in a purple dress and white blouse emerged from the stables.

"Yes, Mr. Ingo," she recited in a subdued tone.

"I'll be over at the corral," Ingo continued recklessly. "Come talk to me about a horse,"

"A horse could be useful for getting through the field quickly," Sheik noted quietly. "Although, we'll have to defend ourselves from horseback, and that may be difficult with our current weaponry,"

"Don't worry, my magic is easily usable anywhere," Lucius assured the Sheikah.

"It's been a long time since we've had a visitor here…" Malon stated in the same downcast tone. "Where did you come from?"

"Well, we just left Kakariko, because we heard that Ingo was in charge here," Link explained with a frown. Malon looked over her shoulder to make sure that Ingo wasn't listening.

"Mr. Ingo is just using the ranch to gain Ganondorf's favor…" she whispered, eyes a bit watery. "Everyone seems to be turning evil…But Dad…He was kicked out of the ranch by Mr. Ingo. If I disobey him, he will treat the horses so badly. So…there's nothing I can do,"

"I'll handle him," Link clenched his fist and started for the corral.

"Wait!" Malon grabbed his arm. "Mr. Ingo didn't used to be like this. He was mean, but he still wasn't this bad. Can't you find a way to get him back to normal?"

"This is very common, Link," Lucius came forward. "Ever since the evil energies began to radiate through the land, the power of evil is strong and many people have succumbed to it,"

"Their former selves can be awakened, but its not clear how, usually," Sheik added. "However, I believe that Ingo may be easier than most to turn back,"

"How do we do that, then?" Link crossed his arms and stared at the Sheikah.

"By getting a horse, of course," she replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why would that work?" Navi asked, puzzled.

"Because Ingo prides himself at being better than Talon, or so he believes," Lucius explained.

"Oh, so if we break that illusion, he'll stop being a jerk!" Link exclaimed. Malon shushed him, glancing nervously towards the new gate that was attached to the barn and house, preventing passage to and from the corral if it were closed.

"And by restoring Talon to the ranch," Sheik nodded. "That is, if he even wants to come back,"

"Dad always wanted to run this place," Malon insisted emphatically. "He just got a little lazy after…Mom died…" She sniffled. "Excuse me…" she retreated to the stable.

"That's it," Link turned towards the corral. "Let's go prove to Ingo that he's just a jerk!"

"Just don't do anything rash," Lucius cautioned him. To all appearances, this was ignored. The mage sighed and he and Sheik hurried after the hero.

* * *

><p>"We were in Kakariko and heard that Talon was staying there because he was evicted-" Lucius began, but Ingo interrupted.<p>

"Yeah, there are people in Kakariko spreading rumors that I cheated Talon out of the ranch," he waved his hand dismissively and sneered at them. Link was about to speak when the mustached man continued. "But don't be ridiculous! That guy Talon was weak! I, the hard-working Ingo, poured so much energy into this place! I don't want any strangers like you saying anything bad about me!" Link threatened to do just that, but Ingo saw and cut him off again. "Listen. The great Ganondorf recognized my obvious talents and gave the ranch to me!"

_Yeah, like boot-licking. _Link thought. How he knew this term was a mystery, but it fit.

"I will raise a fine horse and win recognition from the great Ganondorf," Ingo continued smugly.

"Yes, as a feckless bootlicker that grovels at his feet," Sheik muttered harshly. She turned and walked off.

"How rude!" Ingo raged. "Get out!" Sheik had already done so, to all appearances. Ingo exhaled agitatedly and turned to address Lucius and Link.

"Say, young man, do you want to ride one of my fine horses?" he asked bluntly. "Ten rupees a ride," Lucius nudged Link.

"Sure, why not?" the hero grudgingly forked over a yellow rupee that Lucius passed him. "Okay, go on in and pick a horse," Ingo opened the gate and allowed Link in before shutting the gate. "I'll give you one minute before I kick you out,"

"Whoo-hoo," Link said unenthusiastically. He walked over to a red horse with a white mane, but she whinnied and galloped away. Ingo laughed derisively at him. Resisting the urge to throw his boomerang at the man, Link pondered why the red horse looked familiar. "Isn't that Epona?" He pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the melody that he had learned from Malon, quite a while back. Surprisingly, he remembered it. The horse stopped, whinnied, and came over to him, nuzzling his face. "Hey, Epona," he whispered to her. He went to her side and climbed into the saddle that she was already wearing. Spurring her gently with his feet, he took off across the pen. A few fences were set up, but the horse jumped over them easily. Link laughed as his hair blew in the wind, wheeling Epona around and riding by Ingo.

"Hey, you're pretty good!" he admitted with a scowl. Link reigned Epona to a stop so that he could hear better. "How about a race? I'll let you have that horse, if you win, but you have to pay me fifty rupees if you lose,"

"Bring it on!" Link accepted. Ingo opened the gate and allowed Link out before going over to a black horse and mounting it. Lucius retreated as Link and Ingo lined their steeds up at a pre-drawn white line that was perpendicular to one of the gateposts.

"Okay, here we go," Ingo held up a hand with three fingers outstretched, clearly going to use them for the countdown. "3, 2, 1...go!" he gave a strange yell and spurred his horse hard in the ribs as Link gently spurred Epona into action. Their steeds took off, rounding the course. Ingo, clearly, had no respect for his horse, spurring it unnecessarily hard and shouting curses at it as Link managed to keep ahead by getting in his way and being calm. The end result was quite expected, but Ingo still didn't take it well. He jumped off of his horse and screamed at it.

"You blasted horse!" he shouted at the animal. "You're no good!" he opened the gate and kicked it in the hindquarters. The horse whinnied, tried to kick him, and then ran back in in a bad temper. Link dismounted Epona with a smug look on his face, and walked calmly over to the angry Ingo as he clutched his head and pulled his hair in agitation. "If the great Ganondorf found out about this humiliation…" he spotted Link and fixed his bloodshot eyes on him. "Hey, you! How about another race?" he spat.

"I already won the horse, what else would I need?" Link cocked his head in mock-confusion.

"If you win…I'll let your friends have horses, too!" Ingo seethed.

"That sounds like a sound proposition," Lucius called from his observation point by the stables. Sheik, leaning next to him, gave a hand signal.

"Alright, get a horse and I'll take you up on it," Link climbed back on Epona as Ingo picked another black horse and rode to the starting line.

"3, 2, 1...go!" they took off again, Ingo, once more, abusing his horse. This time, though, he had picked a faster ride, or was just pushing harder, and was managing to stay even with Epona.

"Hey, watch it!" Link objected as Ingo slammed into Link, causing him to have to hang onto Epona's neck.

"No holds barred, kid!" Ingo growled smugly, riding ahead.

"Come on, Epona!" Link whispered to his horse. "Let's beat that guy," Epona whinnied and put on an extra burst of speed. Ingo, though, kept in front of them and blocked their path. Swerving towards the inside of the track, Link finally managed to come up beside Ingo as they neared the final third of the track. The corrupt rancher snarled and tried to knock him off, but the hero managed to shoot forward and cross the finish line first.

"Shoooot!" Ingo roared, jumping off of his horse and forcing it into the corral. "What's up with that horse?" He looked closer and realization hit. His face contorted in rage. "Is that Epona? How did you tame that wild horse right under my nose?" He shrieked.

"Well, if you'd ever been nice to Malon, you'd know," Link rubbed a finger under his nose.

"I was going to present that horse to the great Ganondorf…" he muttered darkly. "But I bet it on the race and lost! Shooot!"

"And you owe me two other horses, too," Link reminded him. Ingo paused and looked up at him and, then, he started to laugh manically. He continued as he walked over to the new gate and closed it behind him.

"As I promised, I'll give you the horses. Take your pick!" he shouted eerily, his face twisting horribly. "However…I'll never let you leave this ranch!"

"What?" Link shouted. The rancher chained the fence shut with a large chain and padlocked it before passing out.

"This is not good…" Lucius observed.

"Now, what?" Navi asked. "That gate is the only way out!"

"The only _normal_ way out," Sheik observed, pointing at the three tall, pointy gates that were in the ranch's outer wall.

"So you want us to try and jump horses over the gate?" Lucius concluded. He shrugged. "Well, I guess there's no better option,"

"Can't you just destroy the gate?" Navi looked at him.

"I could, but it would likely destroy the house and stable, not to mention potentially hurting or killing Malon or Ingo,"

"Guy deserves it…" Link rubbed the bruise on his leg from where Ingo had rammed him with a horse.

"Regardless, let's go pick some horses," Sheik said, already heading for the corral.

She and Lucius chose two brown horses, young, energetic, and not abused overtly. They then rode around the corral to pick up speed.

"Okay, here we go!" Link shouted as they came to the high fence. Epona jumped high and cleared it, followed by the other two horses, and the party arrived in the part of Hyrule Field near a v-shaped rock wall that looked manmade, though it was chipped and broken wherever the monsters had damaged it. Speaking of monsters, about eight Peahats, four dozen Stalchildren, large and small, and the usual Guays were in this area. Naturally, they all noticed that some prey had jumped into their midst and came at them with their usual vigor.

"We don't have time for this!" Sheik shouted, readying her whip. "Night already draws near!" The sky was already starting to change color, a sign that it was around 17:00.

"Break for Kakariko!" Lucius ordered. "I'll handle these!"

"Why Kakariko?" Link asked.

"Link, just go!" Navi reprimanded. Epona and Sheik's horse bore their riders quickly away as Lucius stood alone against the monster tide.

"_Sacred light, emit from the heavens and wreak havoc!" _he cried out.

A large explosion of light occurred behind them as they fled. Link glanced back and saw a silhouetted figure against the flare. He was about to check Epona but Sheik reprimanded him.

"There will be plenty of time in the village!" she shouted. Link had to agree.

* * *

><p>Dusk was beginning to fall as they finally reached the gates of Kakariko.<p>

"Oh, its you three," the ex-clock guard said meekly. "I take it that you've been to Ingo's Ranch, then?"

"Yes, and we need to enter and speak to Talon," Link called up. "He's been hiding out long enough,"

"Okay, but he's really hard to wake up," the ex-clock guard warned them, opening the gate wide enough to admit them. They rode through and passed by the few people that were heading for their homes at this time of day. Eventually, they came to the inn and tied their horses next to the trough that was out front, though it was disused. Luckily, rain water had kept it filled and Epona and her friends drank their fill of water.

"Fine horses you got there," an old man said, emerging from the inn. "I used to take care of people's steeds while they stayed here, but traffic kinda slowed down over the recent years so…" He looked over the party. "I'll take care of these guys and gals for ya,"

"Thank you," Lucius replied.

"No problem…" the guy began to walk off. "I'll just go fetch some food for them and we'll be set,"

* * *

><p>The innkeeper was half-asleep at her post as the party entered.<p>

"Excuse me…excuse me!" Link rapped on the desk, finally getting her to snap to with a start.

"Can I help you?" she asked, half-dazed-looking.

"We need a room for the night and could you tell us where Talon's room is?" Link responded.

"Oh, right…" she reached under the desk and pulled out a key with a 7 tag on it. "100 rupees,"

"That's really expensive," Navi commented as Lucius handed over a handful of colored rupees.

"Actually, it's cheap in this day and age," Sheik explained. "Supplies are short and inns are strapped for everything,"

"It's true," the innkeeper sighed and handed over the room key. "Upstairs, to the right, third door on the left. Talon is in room 6, right across from your room,"

"Thank you," Link said before heading up the stairs. They knocked on Talon's door and, hearing only his trademark loud snoring, let themselves in, as the door was unlocked. He had lost some weight and looked a little older, but he was definitely the portly owner of the ranch. Link pulled out the Master Sword with a mischievous smile.

"What are you doing?" Sheik asked, crossing her arms.

"Something I learned from Al," the hero prodded Talon in the back. Promptly, he sat up, rubbing his back, and looked blearily at the party as Link sheathed his weapon.

"What in tarnation?" he said loudly. "Can't a person get a little shut-eye around here?"

"Why do that when you have a ranch to run?" Link cocked his head and looked at the rancher seriously.

"Ingo took over Lon Lon Ranch and they call it Ingo Ranch nowadays…" Talon answered sadly, looking at his hairy knuckles as he clenched the bedspread. "I was kicked out of there, and look at me now! My girl, Malon, still works at the ranch, I'm worried about her…"

"We have broken the spell over Ingo," Lucius interjected. "He probably isn't very happy right now and wants you to come back,"

"Malon really misses you, too!" Navi added.

"You have to go back!" Link agreed. Talon seemed to mull this over and then he jumped up with a whoop.

"Yeehah!" he shook each of their hands in turn. "I owe you a lot for helpin' out Malon! Tomorrow mornin', I'm headin' back to the ranch!"

"We'll come with you," Link volunteered. "We're heading that way, anyway, and I won't be able to rest if I let you go out there alone,"

"Thanks a bundle," he clapped Link on the shoulder. "See ya in the morning!"

"It always pays off when you see their smiling faces…" Sheik mused as they entered their own room.

"I guess, but we also got Epona!" Link said optimistically, sitting at the small, cheap dining table that was in their room.

"Something is bothering me, though…" Navi said suddenly.

"What is it?" Lucius looked to her.

"I'm getting a bad feeling from the forest…" the fairy elucidated. "Link," she turned to the hero. "Call Saria,"

"Okay…I just hope she isn't mad that I haven't called in seven years…" he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and chimed off Saria's Song. The ocarina began to glow green and panting could be heard, as well as the roar of a monster.

"Link! You're safe!" Saria's sounded out of breath and was whispering like she was hiding from something. "I knew I would hear from you again!"

"Why are you panting so hard?" Link asked.

"I'm in the Forest Temple," she said. "The forest spirits were calling for help, so I went to check it out, but it's full of evil monsters!" A loud roar could be heard. "Help me, Link!" The ocarina suddenly stopped glowing.

"Saria!" he called, but there was no reply.

"It sounds like she needs help," Navi said worriedly.

"We'll have to hurry there, come tomorrow," Sheik commented. "Until then, we'll have to trust that she'll stay ahead of the monsters," Saria's Song came from the Ocarina of Time and it began to glow again.

"I'm fine…I ran out front and hid in a tree," Saria's exhausted voice said. Link and Navi breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm going to spend the night here, so please hurry and come here tomorrow,"

"I'll come, don't worry," Link promised.

"Good," she yawned. "Well, good-night," The glow faded again.

"We should go to sleep, as well," Lucius suggested. "After all the fighting, we need to recover our strength. The monsters out there tend to repopulate rather quickly," Sheik sat down by a wall.

"You don't have to sleep there," Link said. "You can have a bed,"

"Thanks but no thanks, hero," the Sheikah declined, staring at him with her eye that was un-obscured by her bangs. "Save your chivalry for Malon or some other damsel-in-distress,"

"You could've just said no…" Link muttered dejectedly, pulling off his armor, revealing his toned chest, and climbing into bed. Sheik averted her eyes, blushing slightly, and gave a grunt.

"Good night, everyone," Lucius declared, propping his staff by his own bed. They exchanged their own good nights, except for Sheik, and fell asleep quite promptly.

* * *

><p>The rooster of dawn woke Link the next morning. Lucius and Sheik were already sitting at the dining table, discussing their plans for the day over the remnants of breakfast and guarding Link's plate. Yawning, the hero sat up and scratched his head before rising and putting his hat and armor back on.<p>

"These beds are full of straw…" he grumbled, dragging himself over to the table and digging into the poor fare that the inn had provided.

"Well, if you're expecting Hyrule Castle of old, get your head out of the clouds," Sheik replied coolly. Navi came out from under his hat, yawned, and then swiped a piece of cheese from Link's plate. He was too tired to object and just let her have it.

Talon was practically bouncing up and down out front as they finally came out around 06:30.

"I see ya got Epona, Tanmane, and Cocoa from the ranch," he observed. "Fine horses, but Epona's in a different league altogether. Malon and me like to say that she's descended from legendary horses of old, but we can't prove it, so-"

"Can we get moving?" Sheik interrupted impatiently.

"Oh, sure, right. I get goin' on sometimes," Talon apologized.

"All right, Link, I'll ride with you," Lucius declared. "Talon can have Tanmane, and Sheik can have Cocoa,"

"Why do I have to carry you with me?" Link grumbled as they untied the horses.

"Would you rather have Talon?" the mage muttered.

"No,"

"Then stop complaining," They mounted the horses and started for the gate, passing by the old guy that worked at the inn.

"Those are some real fine horses. Take good care of 'em and come back soon!" he called.

"Yeah, thanks!" Link waved back. As they came to the gate, the ex-clock soldier came out and turned the winch.

"So you're going back, Talon?" he asked.

"Yup!" the portly rancher answered. "These three taught Ingo a lesson, so I'm gonna head back,"

"Well, be careful out there," the gate guard warned.

* * *

><p>A few Peahats and Stalchildren had returned since the previous day, but the numbers were nowhere near what they had been. Lucius and Link easily disposed of them with bombs and spells.<p>

"I'm going to run out, at this rate," the hero noted, looking at his nearly empty bomb bag.

"You guys are tough!" Talon commented, impressed. "Glad to see some men of valor around Hyrule nowadays!" Link scratched his head modestly, but Lucius nudged him to remind him that they needed to move on.

"Oh, yeah! On to the ranch!"

The sign that had read Ingo's Ranch the previous day now read Lon Lon Ranch again.

"The sign changed!" Navi exclaimed.

"Hey, I hear you out there!" the door opened to reveal a very cheerful Ingo. "Come on in!" They looked at each other and rode in. Ingo shut the gate behind them. "Can't be too careful!" he said genially, walking in front of them. "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch! We sell milk and cheese and you can even ride horses for free as long as you're nice to them,"

"Tarnation, Ingo, you've plum changed," Talon dismounted rather clumsily and walked over to the lankier man.

"Talon!" the mustached man broke down. "I'm sorry! I just wanted to be recognized for all I do around here!" The bearded rancher looked a bit overwhelmed.

"Aw, shucks, Ingo," he scratched his head. "Dry up, you're embarrassing us in front of company," He looked away from his friend. "I guess I'm sorta to blame here, too. I just got lazy after the missus died. But that's done with! I'm gonna help out from now on!" He put an arm around Ingo and guided him towards the house. "Let's have a couple of mugs of Chateau and talk, like ol' times!"

"That was odd," Navi was the first to respond to what had just happened. "He was actually more normal than that when he was nuts,"

"Well, I'm just glad that this place is changing for the better," Lucius commented. Malon suddenly emerged from the barn, looking fairly more cheerful than before.

"Thank you very much for the other day," she smiled, making Link blush at how cute she still was. Granted, he'd already known that, but his body was older now, so it elicited a different reaction. "I haven't even asked your name yet, though…"

"Um…I'm Link," the hero said, shaking himself out of his embarrassment.

"Lucius," the mage nodded.

"I'm Navi!" the fairy added happily.

"Sheik," the Sheikah grunted.

"That's what I thought!" Malon giggled. "You're the fairy boy and his mage friend. That was years ago! Do you remember me?"

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to help so much," Link hit his chest with a fist.

"I had to pull his reins," Lucius added, earning a look from the hero. Navi sniggered at his expense.

"Shut it, Navi!" he grumbled. Malon giggled again.

"I was sure it was you because Epona remembered you!" she looked at the house for a few seconds. "Oh, I have to tell you about Mr. Ingo…"

"Yeah, what happened after he passed out?" Link cocked his head.

"He went raging around like a maniac, rambling about how the Evil King was going to find out about Epona being taken away. This morning, though, he got up and was back to normal! Actually, he's not even grumpy! And dad's come back, too," she sniffed. "I can't believe it, but peace is returning to this ranch! It's all because of you! I owe you so much. Thank you!" she pecked his cheek and ran off to the house in joyful tears. Link touched the spot on his cheek and turned red. Sheik rolled her eyes and leapt onto the stable, where she quickly disappeared.

"What's wrong, Link?" Navi asked worriedly. He shook his head.

"No, of course not," he said cheerfully. Lucius chuckled, and made his way past into the corral. "Hey! What are you laughing at?" He followed the mage.

"Just the cute little liking you seem to be getting for a certain young woman," he replied lightly. Link blushed again.

"Yeah, right, you're crazy. I'm going to go look for some food to take with us," the hero hurried away with Navi following him and teasing him. The mage sighed and walked over to the tall tree that grew near the house.

"Hmm…" he looked up at it and sniffed the air. "This tree gives off a pollen that irritates my nose a little. I wonder if this is why Guays don't fly over here?" Shrugging, he decided to go see to the supplies as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Next is the Forest Temple. Yay. R&amp;R.<strong>


End file.
